LivingDNA is way off, but why?

[SaxonofRoM]

FTDNA had me down as 66% or so North-West European and 23% British; which was about right.
LivingDNA claim that I am ~96% British.
Pretty weird, considering they are supposedly the most accurate.
My mother is Boer, she is mostly of Dutch and German descent, but has some distant Gallowglass and more distant Hugenot.
My father is English on his father's side and Cape Afrikaans (largely Hugenot as far as we were aware) on his mother's.

[mwauthy]

FTDNA had me down as 66% or so North-West European and 23% British; which was about right.
LivingDNA claim that I am ~96% British.
Pretty weird, considering they are supposedly the most accurate.
My mother is Boer, she is mostly of Dutch and German descent, but has some distant Gallowglass and more distant Hugenot.
My father is English on his father's side and Cape Afrikaans (largely Hugenot as far as we were aware) on his mother's.

Most Celtic/Germanic or Northwestern genes automatically get assigned to the British Isles even if they are from other areas of Europe. I have zero British ancestry on paper yet I received 63% Great Britain with Living DNA. DNA Land gives me exactly 63% Northwestern Europe as well. On FTDNA I have 90% West and Central Europe and 0% British Isles which matches my French Canadian and Belgian Ancestry better.

[DavidCoutts]

Interesting thread. I really want to read what Maciamo thinks about this.

[Maciamo]

It's not way off. The Dutch and English are very similar genetically. In fact East Anglians may be more similar to Dutch people than to, say Cumbrians or Cornwall people.

At present Living DNA's algorithm uses far more samples from British regions than from the Benelux or Germany, but this is going to change soon.

[timberwolf]

It's not way off. The Dutch and English are very similar genetically. In fact East Anglians may be more similar to Dutch people than to, say Cumbrians or Cornwall people.

At present Living DNA's algorithm uses far more samples from British regions than from the Benelux or Germany, but this is going to change soon.

How soon? Also what is happening with their family networks? I thought the beta version of it, was supposed to available by now.

[Maciamo]

How soon? Also what is happening with their family networks? I thought the beta version of it, was supposed to available by now.

Don't ask me, I have no idea. If you have questions about Living DNA, ask them directly. I don't work for them. I am also looking forward to the update.

[DavidCoutts]

I must admit, I'm surprised LivingDNA test to such low percentages. I am 95.5% British/Irish, and 4.5% Scandinavian. Such a tiny percentage of my DNA coming from Scandinavia is, I would have thought, pretty much irrelevant. I appreciate their professionalism in being so thorough, but really they could simply have classified me as British for all the difference 4.5% Scandinavian makes.

[mwauthy]

I must admit, I'm surprised LivingDNA test to such low percentages. I am 95.5% British/Irish, and 4.5% Scandinavian. Such a tiny percentage of my DNA coming from Scandinavia is, I would have thought, pretty much irrelevant. I appreciate their professionalism in being so thorough, but really they could simply have classified me as British for all the difference 4.5% Scandinavian makes.

That’s one of my major complaints with autosomal dna testing. There is a lot of overlap between regions so percentages can be misleading.

[DavidCoutts]

That’s one of my major complaints with autosomal dna testing. There is a lot of overlap between regions so percentages can be misleading.

I wasn't aware of that.

[ToBeOrNotToBe]

LivingDNA and FTDNA are far worse autosomally than ancestry and 23andme - 23andme is definitely the best in this regard, as they don't claim to be able to do unrealistic things (such as being able to identify what percentage of you is genetically Irish).

Only from transferred data, but livingDNA predicted I was about 5% Celtic!

[DavidCoutts]

LivingDNA and FTDNA are far worse autosomally than ancestry and 23andme - 23andme is definitely the best in this regard, as they don't claim to be able to do unrealistic things (such as being able to identify what percentage of you is genetically Irish).

Only from transferred data, but livingDNA predicted I was about 5% Celtic!

Interesting. @Maciamo, what is your take on this?

[Sile]

LivingDNA and FTDNA are far worse autosomally than ancestry and 23andme - 23andme is definitely the best in this regard, as they don't claim to be able to do unrealistic things (such as being able to identify what percentage of you is genetically Irish).
Only from transferred data, but livingDNA predicted I was about 5% Celtic!

but 23andme problem is it has a void in admixture in central europe from alsace to hungary and from south-germany to North-italy ..............they have nothing for this group .
.
I am not in ancestry, but have manager use of my first cousin for it and I find they use the 1000 Genomes classification as a mix ...........so IBS+TSI = East Europe/balkan, CEU+GBR = Central europe, GBR+FIN = scandinavia , etc .............

[bigsnake49]

They really need to expand their reference populations.

[paul333]

I think once LivingDNA get your money and genetic information, they move on to the next victim, and ignore any concerns you raise, despite admitting incorrect reportings.

It seems in my own opinion they are only after your genetic information, and money, and do not give a damm about you afterwards. The false information they supply and want you to believe is a joke. In my opinion its results are more similar to recent 'fake news', and their reports can only be considered, as in my case ' Fake DNA Ancestral Journeys ' etc .

I have plenty concerns about the missleadings in their advertising, and the complete inaccurate miss-information they deliberately supply, regarding ' Your Journey ' or ' find out where you really come from' they just do not seem to know,or choose to deliberately missinform, and should never be allowed to get away with what they seem to be doing.

It was the first ever genetic test I took, and I have certianly learned to be ' very cautious about their results'. It seems they have a hidden agenda, behind gaining your personal genetic information, which they then knowingly, and deliberately missinform you about.

[ToBeOrNotToBe]

Because LivingDNA is rubbish. 23andme all day, every day...

[piratica]

interesting... what about ftdna vs 23&me?
and these charts are kinda incorrect then?
eupedia.com/genetics/which_ancestry_dna_test_to_choose.shtml

and what about this in-depth Y-dna stuff?
yfull.com/

would this give any better results though?
livingdna.com/one-family/research
especially when everyone else can join in for free?

[DavidCoutts]

Because LivingDNA is rubbish. 23andme all day, every day...

That's a bold statement to make. Maciamo seems to regard LivingDNA quite highly.

[Dibran]

I think once LivingDNA get your money and genetic information, they move on to the next victim, and ignore any concerns you raise, despite admitting incorrect reportings.

It seems in my own opinion they are only after your genetic information, and money, and do not give a damm about you afterwards. The false information they supply and want you to believe is a joke. In my opinion its results are more similar to recent 'fake news', and their reports can only be considered, as in my case ' Fake DNA Ancestral Journeys ' etc .

I have plenty concerns about the missleadings in their advertising, and the complete inaccurate miss-information they deliberately supply, regarding ' Your Journey ' or ' find out where you really come from' they just do not seem to know,or choose to deliberately missinform, and should never be allowed to get away with what they seem to be doing.

It was the first ever genetic test I took, and I have certianly learned to be ' very cautious about their results'. It seems they have a hidden agenda, behind gaining your personal genetic information, which they then knowingly, and deliberately missinform you about.

I think you need to lay off the conspiracy theories. LivingDNA is also a fairly new company, so for them they have alot of hurdles to go through competing against the Big 3.

Additionally, they have a big undertaking with their One World project which aims at creating sample sized regionally based on samples that only have all their grandparents born from one region of the country. This is to make ancestry reporting alot clearer. They are also no different than 23andme with regards to reporting. They have 3 levels, complete, assumed, and cautious, with cautious being general but not making any assumptions.

My results(especially since they dont really have many balkan samples) has been quite accurate. Aside from a quirk here or there, its not what you're making it out to be. Their family network feature also seems quite ambitious.
Give them a break.

[paul333]

I can only speak from my own experience, and form my own opinion, and that is what I did, and as a result I try to inform, and warn people, about being taken in as I was, regarding LivingDNA and their advertising.

Had I known how bad they were, I would never of tested, or wasted my time with them. Regarding your comments "Give them a break" ??? best if you stick to your own experience, and opinions.

In my 'own' opinion, and experience, it was actually worse than what I stated, especially in their "Your Journey" and "where you really come from" !! ...and I did give them a break.

Now one year later, I am starting again trying to find my 'true Genetic Journey' and to find out 'where I and my family 'really' did come from ' .

[gidai]

They really need to expand their reference populations.

All ambitious "regional projects" have volatilized now along with promises ! Not a single link related to its other than... buy a test.

[bigsnake49]

The raw genetic data from LivingDNA is very close to that from Ancestry. It is their reference populations and their calculators that suck.

[mitty]

Received my Living dna results yesterday, which only took 1 month from the day they received my specimen! I took the test because I read it was the best test for British people.

My own paper trail gives me:
25% Northwest Scotland
25% County Durham
25% West Yorkshire
12.5% North Yorkshire
12.5% Cumbria

What I get from Living Dna:
49.3% Northwest Scotland
20.4% South Yorkshire
5.4% Central England
5.1% Northumbria
4.1% Cumbria
3.4% Ireland
2.7% Southwest Scotland and Northern Ireland
2.2% Northwest England
1.2% Devon

Also 3.1% Scandinavia.

As West Yorkshire is included in the South Yorkshire Reference, 20% is not far off.

But they have given me way too much Northwest Scotland,( 49.3%?) County Durham comes under Northumbria but I have only been given 5.1% so way off on that area. Likewise they have given me too little Cumbria and North Yorkshire.

Given me a lot to think about!

[piratica]

someone was cheating

[Sile]

is Eupedia still in bed with Living DNA ?

[DavidCoutts]

When I have some spare cash built up, I may take the 23andMe ancestry test just to see how it compares to LivingDNA.