Ancestry's New Ethnicity Inheritance

 In February 2022, I posted an article comparing my DNA Ethnicity Estimates from the different DNA companies I have tested with.  To see that post, click here.  I mentioned I was puzzled about AncestryDNA not showing any German ethnicity, in spite of the fact that my paternal grandfather was German.  

Not long after I made that post, AncestryDNA revised it's Ethnicity Estimates in April 2022.  Their new ethnicity inheritance feature separates the two sides (paternal/maternal) of one's family.  AncestryDNA  can do this without testing the parents.  This information comes from the tester's DNA results - not from the parents’ DNA.  

The top image is my NEW Ethnicity Estimate from AncestryDNA  (April 2022), and below that is my old estimate from February (although it was last updated the previous September 2021).  As you can see, I went from 0% German to 22% German.  The 22% German is right in the range where it should be.  Not sure why the German never showed up before, because I have many AncestryDNA matches with other descendants of my German immigrant ancestors and my tree shows all of my German lines back to the 1600's.  But whatever the reason for it not showing up before, my German ethnicity is now showing up - so happy about that😊😊

Ancestry.com Ethnicity Estimate April 2022
German Ethnicity Showing

Ancestry.com Ethnicity Estimate September 2021
No German Ethnicity Shows Up

Your Ethnicity Inheritance by Parent

On the Ethnicity Inheritance page, AncestryDNA shows which parent one gets their inheritance from, as shown below.  I love this feature because it may help me eventually break through some brickwalls and figure out which ancestors came from Scandinavia (Sweden & Denmark) or Wales. Since both of my parents tested at AncestryDNA, I can also look at their ethnicity inheritance to see which ethnicities each of their parents (my grandparents) passed down to them.  Awesome😍

Parent 1 is my maternal line and Parent 2 is my paternal line.  I know this because Parent 2 shows German Ethnicity and the German is from my father's side.  Ancestry lets you assign a side as your paternal or maternal side, which I have since done.  Just to the right of the Detailed Comparison is a Edit Parents button.  Click that to label Parent sides as maternal or paternal.  

Ethnicity Inheritance by Parent

Maternal and Paternal Sides Labeled 

Chromosome Painter

Next - AncestryDNA "paints" our chromosomes with the regions associated with our ethnicity estimate.  How cool is that😊😊   The Chromosome Painter is found by clicking the tab "Explore now" in the bottom right hand corner of the Ethnicity Inheritance page.  If you use the tabs at the top of the Chromosome Painter, you have the option of viewing only one side such as Parent 1 or Parent 2 (maternal or paternal).  On the left side, you have the option of clicking on one region and only that region will show on the browser.  

My cousin's Chromosome Painter is much more colorful than mine.  In addition to our shared UK and European ancestry, he has Mexican ancestry which includes Spain, Basque, and Indigenous Americas.

Cousin's Chromosome Painter

Question of the day:  If AncestryDNA can give us a Chromosome Painter, why can’t AncestryDNA give us a Chromosome Browser to use with our DNA matches?😮?