Living DNA – Your DNA Adventure Has Begun

A few months back I received a DNA kit through the post from Living DNA. I find it really exciting learning about family ancestry, family trees and knowing where you come from. Now my dad and aunt have gone, plus having no grandparents on either side, I have no other older family members to chat to regarding the family history. I’m lucky that I have managed to go back as far as I can while researching the family tree. Having a DNA test done is interesting. You can uncover the geographic and ethnic origins of your ancestors and find long lost relatives.

Living DNA - Your DNA Adventure Has Begun

So having the chance to learn and discover by having my own DNA tested about my ancestors going back 10 generations is amazing. Living DNA covers your family line ancestry, but unlike other tests they also include your motherline, and your father line ancestry if you are male. This DNA test is best for ancestry research, but they do however offer a few different types of kits. If you want to find out more about Living DNA, I recommend you read up on their services and maybe a general review of all they offer.

How Living DNA Works

  • Order your kit online
  • Take your swab – activate your kit online, then collect your DNA sample with the easy to use mouth swab.
  • Pop it in the post – when you collect your DNA sample, pop it in the post using the free returns bag.
  • Review results online – within 10-12 weeks your results will be ready online in your own portal area. They are always continuing to update them for free as their systems evolve.
Living DNA - Your DNA Adventure Has Begun

Exploring The Results

After I sent the kit off. I kind of forgot about it as it does take a while for them to review. Then one day I had an email saying my results were ready. It is very exciting.

When you login it explains how your story begins. Your DNA reveals the great migrations your ancestors took which are a part of your genetic makeup today.

The results are divided into three areas:

Family Ancestry – this part will tell you about all your ancestors in recent times (going back 10 generations). It will also tell you about your ancestry through different points in history until we all share the same common ancestors,

My overview is that I’m 98.3% Europe and 1.7% Asia (central) They determine the family history by comparing my DNA profile with thousands of individuals from around the world.

As shown in the map below, the highest percentage of where I share my genetic ancestry is Cornwall, so I know that’s very accurate!

Living DNA- Your family ancestry map shows the areas of the world where you share genetic ancestry in recent times

Motherline Ancestry – the results will explore your direct maternal ancestry from your mother then back to Africa.

From my DNA results it shows I’m in Haplogroup J and Subclade J2b1a. I’ve learned that the Haplogroup J is rare and found distributed thinly in Britain and the South East.

Living DNA gives you some history on your results as well as origin maps. There is much information that I’ve yet to explore.

Fatherline Ancestry – can only be tested on males.

Overall Thoughts

Living DNA is fantastic. It’s really fascinating to learn about your ancestry DNA and by looking at the results so far they are pretty accurate. It’s a good fun experiment without it being gimmicky. I know lots of people who would find this interesting and would love the kit as a gift. It is a tad expensive at £99, but then accurate testing comes at a price.

Taking my own swab brought me back to my school and college days, biology and genetics were my thing. The swab was easy to pop into its sterile test tube. You have to make sure it clicks shut properly so the swab can begin its drying process in the tube. Next just pop it into the pre paid bag and straight into the post box. The bag is labelled with your own personal id number that matches your account when you registered right at the start.

My results were available well within the 12 week time frame, which was great. You will always keep your account with Living DNA so you can pop back and read up, check for updates whenever you wish.

You can buy your own Living DNA kit here.

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you have enjoyed reading all about my family ancestry DNA.

rachelbustin.com

*I received a Living DNA kit in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thank you for sharing

8 thoughts on “Living DNA – Your DNA Adventure Has Begun

  1. I have had no contact with my mother’s family since I was a child, so it would be nice to find out more about my genetic makeup.

  2. I’ve been doing my tree on Ancestry since my mum died and have hit a couple of brick walls – I have two grandparent ancestors with no discernible husbands – I’d love to try this and see if it can point me in the way of their children’s fathers!

  3. Ooh this does sound interesting, I would love to look into my family tree but my mums mum was adopted at a young age and that’s as far as i can go her side, and my dads side i only know my nan, and an aunt I’ve never met, that’s as far as that side goes too xxx

  4. I’ve always found these really interesting. I’d be a bit nervous about sending my DNA off to a company *puts tin foil hat on* but I also really really want to know more about my family history since my dad died when I was young.

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