Why do my DNA results change when two people both tested from the same brand?
Without going into great detail, I want to pose a question to the group of experienced Wikiologists as well as upcoming ones. I have tested my autosomal DNA on MyHeriatage, 23andme and FamilyTreeDNA. All tests results came back the same, or are they? I am trying to put my close matching people into my WikiTree as I can place them. Lot’s of work with communication and finding a common ancestor when many only list mom and dad as private or maybe grandparents. That’s why I took a DNA test.. To get (or find) answers for myself. My parents were only children and did not test their DNA. I have no Aunts or Uncles, and therefore no 1st cousins. You see for me I need to get to GreatGrandparents to find 2nd cousins whom I may match. I'm looking at smaller segments! DNA is essential for me getting a clue of who may fit into my tree easily vs a 5th or distant cousin that would most likely take years to find, and I could not do it alone I might add.
So here is my problem..
I took a test from the three brands listed above. I downloaded my raw DNA from each and placed it on GEDMATCH. Let’s say on 23andme I could not find a match, yet on Gedmatch with the same brand 23andme test that person #2 uploaded, we match.. What? I can’t see them on 23andme, but they show up on GEDMATCH and over minimum segments of 7cM’s.. Same brand, and see one another on Gedmatch, but not 23andme? I asked customer service what could be the cause and could they help? The answer was very disconcerting. They blamed it on different analysis between the way they test vs other company’s. The same holds true for every brand. If I put my results on Gedmatch from any brand I tested, the chromosome browsers within each brand very slightly with Gedmatch results. I am looking for what may be smaller overlapping segments to provide me with clues, not more frustration. These starting and ending overlaps are there or they are not!
Click on example below! I compared my sisters data from MyHeritage against all (vs my DNA (also from MyHeritage in the first two examples) of the four test examples) The first set of data is from MyHeritage, the other three are inside Gedmatch.
Example comparing Me to my sister (her data all from MyHeritage)
My problem is with math these DNA service providers are providing. Raw data is raw data. Numbers in, numbers out. 2+2=4 Not 4.02 not between 3.8 and 4.700001 it's 2+2=4.000000000! If my data changes, then I cannot take results form one brand and compare it to another effiently. Yes I can cite the brands where I tested and my results, and it can be replicated, but bad math, is bad math. If I tell you the numbers are skewed, and you need to adjust for it, how can you trust it?
I think right now DNA sites are playing us for fools. We are accepting of their false claims of “testing differently” because they are not standardized. Why should we pay for more and more tests, if the standards change within brands? Who agrees with me that the industry must standardize so all tests claiming to be Autosomal follow the same standard and as such the calculations remain the same? Who amung us even know this was a problem? I understand testing companies will not want you to take your data elsewhere, as they do not want to give up control (future $$$). But whose data is it, and who paid for the test? Did they do the test for free, and are entitled to the data?
I feel we need to push back and force all DNA testing company’s who claim to do a test (an Autosomal test) be held to a standard for reporting that test. Data pulled and uploaded to another company (and or a 3rd party app) should be consistent and yield exactly the same results.. If we cannot trust the results from the testing company, then the data should go into a bank where we can trust the analysis to be done the same way. Now some people will be shocked at another company holding data. Security risk! Let’s not go there. We can deal with the task of any data being stolen from us later (seems to be never ending).. It’s always something, let’s stick specifically with this subject. Why should we continue to accept raw data to be reported differently within brands and apps? How do we get autosomal DNA reporting standardized so no one else needs to test with three brands to see three different results, or lack of consistency within those results?
I hope this is an eye opener for everyone!