Correct Way to Identify Ancestry

[Learning_Genetics]

Speaking to people from Slavic countries taught me that the British and American way of identifying ancestry is actually incorrect. Typically we like to say we are fully English, or half English and half German, or one quarter Russian and three quarters Scottish, etc. However, Slavs have told me that it is actually your paternal line that determines your ethnicity. Upon further research I have found this to be inherently true among most traditional cultures, both in Europe and Asia.

I accept this view of identity as a paternal inheritance.

However, what I do not understand is whether or not this idea of ancestry stops a person recognising their non-paternal lines of descent. For example, you can say that you are English because that is what your father is, but can you also recognise your German/Russian/Lithuanian, maternal ancestry as well? Or should you only recognise your paternal ethnicity? And also, is it the case that once a woman marries outside her nation, she adopts the ethnicity of her husband?

From a modern point of view, do we recognise non-paternal lines, for example, in genetic research?

Thank you for all your help in explaining to me the traditional ways.

[Ilma]

Not going to help further but if maternal line was pointless, how come autosomal DNA is teaching us enough about our ancestry anyway ? Women pass their genes as well and their ancestry has also an impact on the DNA of their children. They will never pass Y haplogroup but the rest is important enough to determine your ethnicity IMO.

What about jews for example, recognizing you are jew from mother line ?

[Philip Latinowitz]

It's simple as that, you are what your father is. I am speaking about ethnic identity in classical sense, ofcourse woman genetics determine child origin too, but in majority of world peternal lineage matters most. Jews are exception in this.

[Marusya]

Ok, my father is 100% Ukrainian ancestry. His parents were born and raised in Ukraine, immigrating to the USA in early adulthood. What does that make me? Ukrainian? (My mother is British Isles ancestry 100% but her ancestors arrived in USA in 18th century.)

[Philip Latinowitz]

Ok, my father is 100% Ukrainian ancestry. His parents were born and raised in Ukraine, immigrating to the USA in early adulthood. What does that make me? Ukrainian? (My mother is British Isles ancestry 100% but her ancestors arrived in USA in 18th century.)

You're Ukrainian assuming you're able to speak in your father's language.

[Ilma]

It's simple as that, you are what your father is. I am speaking about ethnic identity in classical sense, ofcourse woman genetics determine child origin too, but in majority of world peternal lineage matters most. Jews are exception in this.

As a woman I don't consider myself as same ethnicity as my father (I consider both sides : father and mother) because anyway I won't pass anything from my father paternal side to my children as a woman, is that correct ?

[Marusya]

You're Ukrainian assuming you're able to speak in your father's language.

No, I cannot speak Ukrainian. I'm waiting for the "Learn Ukrainian while you Sleep" course.

[Philip Latinowitz]

As a woman I don't consider myself as same ethnicity as my father (I consider both sides : father and mother) because anyway I won't pass anything from my father paternal side to my children as a woman, is that correct ?

Well Ilma, at least you carry your fathers surname

[Grace O'Malley]

Not going to help further but if maternal line was pointless, how come autosomal DNA is teaching us enough about our ancestry anyway ? Women pass their genes as well and their ancestry has also an impact on the DNA of their children. They will never pass Y haplogroup but the rest is important enough to determine your ethnicity IMO.

What about jews for example, recognizing you are jew from mother line ?

Women pass on their mtdna as well which converts chemical energy from food to a form cells use. Don't forget about the X chromosome which is passed on from the mother. In daughters they get an X chromosome from their mother and also their father (who got it from his mother). So we females carry the X chromosomes of both our Grandmothers. On 23andMe one of my X chromosomes was British&Irish and also Unspecified Northwest European and the other X chromosome was completely French & German (this was the one I got from my mother).

Here's the size of the X chromosome compared to the Y chromosome. The X chromosome contains hundreds more genes than the Y chromosome.



I'm still very interested in my father's ydna and have had 111 strs and snp testing done on my brother (father is deceased) at FTDNA. I've also had the FMS done on my mtdna. Both are interesting.

[Ilma]

Well Ilma, at least you carry your fathers surname

Both, father and mother But I won't pass it to my children neither haha.

Women pass on their mtdna as well which converts chemical energy from food to a form cells use. Don't forget about the X chromosome which is passed on from the mother. In daughters they get an X chromosome from their mother and also their father (who got it from his mother).

Here's the size of the X chromosome compared to the Y chromosome. The X chromosome contains hundreds more genes than the Y chromosome.



I'm still very interested in my father's ydna and have had 111 strs and snp testing done on my brother (father is deceased) at FTDNA. I've also had the FMS done on my mtdna. Both are interesting.

As I've heard that mitochondrial DNA is pointless to track ancestry and to define ethnicity I didn't even mention it but you're right. Didn't know all of that, good point