MyTrueAncestry.com Review | 5 Things To Know - Ancient Past
How can I learn more about my true ancestry?
For many of us, the interesting thing about uncovering ancestry traits is the human connection. Discovering that we are related to specific people -- whether they are still living or lived long ago -- gives us a sense of history and community. After all, we have family trees to establish and maintain links to family members across generations.
Discovering genetic commonalities with whole populations can give us invaluable information about our unique traits. But wouldn’t it be great to prove a connection to a real person in the ancient world? Hey – you might be descended from Julius Caesar, or someone related to him!
If that’s your goal, why not use MyTrueAncestry.com?
My True Ancestry in a Nutshell
If you’re curious about your ancestry traits, you might have considered using a DNA testing provider called My True Ancestry. This service is a third-party genetic DNA testing company that claims to directly compare your DNA data to ancient samples recovered from 85+ ancient civilizations. Ancient DNA samples recovered directly from archaeological dig sites allow My True Ancestry to reveal your ancient ancestry and family history in a way you cannot discover with any other genetic DNA testing companies.
Many companies look at your mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to reveal your ancient ancestry. MtDNA can help determine your haplogroup for genealogy research - essentially a very broad look at the branch of humanity that your family originated from.
My True Ancestry takes a different DNA analysis approach. By comparing your autosomal DNA to ancient samples, you can see exactly which ancient civilizations you are related to. For instance, instead of learning that you are related to a generic "Haplogroup H” that moved throughout Europe, you may find that you are directly related to a Viking warrior buried over 1,000 years ago with actual, shared DNA segments! My True Ancestry also compares your Y-DNA haplogroup (male DNA) to that of the ancient samples, providing much more detailed results than possible with mtDNA.
Does this method actually work? Is My True Ancestry legit? And more importantly, is it worth the cost?
This My True Ancestry review covers everything you need to know, including what you should expect, how much it costs, and some great alternatives you can consider! Here at Genomelink, we think finding the right DNA testing kit is of the utmost importance, so please check out our recommendations.
1. About the Company
2. Test Results and Sample Reports
3. My True Ancestry Reviews
4. Cost
5. Best Alternatives to My True Ancestry
1. About The Company
Quick Facts:
Company Name: MyTrueAncestry AG.
Foundation Year: 2019
Location: Bach, Switzerland
Website: MyTrueAncestry.com
My True Ancestry claims that it can provide a much deeper look into your ancestry traits and ancient past than typical DNA ancestry tests. By comparing your DNA data to samples recovered from archaeological dig sites (a process the company terms “archaea genetic analysis”), the company claims to be giving you a look at an “ethnicity estimate” of ancient populations that contributed to your DNA.
While this DNA analysis is very interesting in theory, there seem to be some serious logical fallacies to this form of analysis. First off, the ancient samples do not represent true “reference populations” like the ones 23andMe or AncestryDNA use to create a DNA ethnicity estimate. These companies sample groups of living populations to capture the diversity within a given ethnicity. Frequently, samples from archaeological dig sites only come from a single ancient human.
Second, the further back in history you go, the more likely you are related to a specific group. Ethnicity estimates using modern populations can be more accurate because they measure and track various genetic variables within each population and compare them to your genetic data. With a single reference point, it is hard to know whether a genetic variant is related to the specific population (Celtic groups, for example) or if the gene was present long before that. For example, groups in both Italy and Scotland were once related to the first humans that migrated out of Africa, which we can prove using Y-DNA.
That being said, My True Ancestry’s DNA analysis does provide a lot of fun content to read, shows you up to 10 ancient groups you are related to for free, and gives you plenty of options to take a deep dive into more ancient civilizations.
2. Test Results and Sample Reports
My True Ancestry is a third-party DNA testing company – meaning you will have to get a DNA testing kit through one of the major providers like 23andMe, My Heritage, or Ancestry DNA before you begin.
Once you get your genetic DNA testing done and have your raw data file from the above companies, you can head over to MyTrueAncestry.com and register for a free account.
The free service will compare your DNA to 10 ancient groups, and you can purchase more discoveries if you find these first ten fun and informative. My True Ancestry covers a huge expanse of ancient civilizations, from ancient groups that contributed to Irish heritage to Native American populations that established a human presence on the American continent.
Depending on the level of membership you choose, your DNA results will include analysis of various DNA matches to samples found at archaeological dig sites worldwide.
Though these are not true “reference populations” in the sense that they are a good estimate of ancient populations, you can see how you are related to all people through a number of ancient societies that mixed and interbred for centuries – leading to your family tree and specific heritage. MyTrueAncestry even gives you a map – like the one below – to start discovering and learning about your ancient genealogical connections.
3. My True Ancestry Reviews
Unfortunately, the editors here at Genomelink could not uncover any reviews of My True Ancestry on the web. However, you may want to read this Forbes article on “deep ancestry” testing companies.
For the most part, Genealogists do not see real value in “deep ancestry” testing. If you go back far enough in time, either everyone is related to the ancient ancestor, or no one is. In other words, if the ancient ancestor had a lot of children, everyone in the world is probably related to them at least a little.
These sorts of “ancestry” tests are not accurate or specific estimates in the same way that an ethnicity estimate can help you trace your heritage back to a specific group of people. Instead, it is a broad look through history to see what genes you have kept that were found in ancient people.
While they may not be a totally accurate view of genetics, My True Ancestry isn’t fake either. They do provide a lot of fun and engaging historical content that helps justify the price.
4. Cost [Updated April 2022]
If you want to give My True Ancestry a shot, go for it! The basic plan is free to everyone and compares your DNA sample to 10 different ancient people. More likely than not, you will be related to many of these people and can see how the entire history of human civilization has contributed to where you are in the world now.
This free tier – called the “Commoner” level – can test 1 DNA file, includes basic maps, and gives you a general timeline of when these different civilizations were active in history. My True Ancestry has 7 paid levels, ranging from $37 - $596, that include many different features and DNA analysis of up to 150+ different ancient groups. These levels, starting at Footman and working up to Olympus, provide the following options and extras:
5. Best Alternatives to My True Ancestry
If you want to directly compare your DNA data to real archaeological sites, My True Ancestry is unique in that it only uses archaeological DNA data to compare your DNA. However, there are many companies that can inform you about aspects of your deep ancestry.
Plus, if you are looking to explore your ancestry with your DNA data, there are a couple of great sites you should explore. Simply download your raw DNA data and get ancestry DNA results from these other great sources:
Genomelink Ancient Ancestry Report -For only $29, you can get much of the same information provided by My True Ancestry, combined with data from living populations that make it slightly more accurate!
GEDmatch-A free-to-use site that can allow you to analyze many ancestry aspects of your DNA data, match with other users, explore your haplogroups, and start mapping your family tree!
The Bottom Line: Is My True Ancestry Legit?
My True Ancestry is a DNA testing company that claims to be able to trace an individual's ancestry to specific ancient civilizations by comparing their DNA data to samples recovered from archaeological dig sites. The company also claims to offer a more detailed look into an individual's ancestry than typical DNA ancestry tests by using a process it calls "archaea genetic analysis." This process involves comparing an individual's autosomal DNA to ancient samples in order to determine to which ancient civilizations the individual is related.
Finding out you’re related to a famous historical figure would be fun and exciting. However, the validity of this method is questionable due to the limited number of ancient samples and the inability to use them as true reference populations for comparison. This has led some to ask: “Is my true ancestry legit?”
My True Ancestry takes a different DNA analysis approach than other genealogy research companies. By comparing your autosomal DNA to ancient samples, you can see exactly which ancient civilizations you are related to. One major issue with My True Ancestry's methodology is that the further back in history an individual's ancestry is traced, the more likely they are to be related to a specific group. This means that ethnicity estimates using modern reference populations may be more accurate because they measure and track various genetic variables within each population and compare them to an individual's genetic data.
Another issue with My True Ancestry is the high cost of its testing. My True Ancestry has 7 paid levels, ranging from $37 - $596 which is significantly more expensive than other DNA testing options on the market. That said, there is a free tier, but it gives you far less than other free options.
It is also worth noting that My True Ancestry is a relatively new company - founded in 2019. We may not be able to answer the question “is mytrueancestry fake” but the lack of a track record may be a concern for some individuals considering using the service.
Additionally, the company has not undergone any independent testing or been reviewed by any major accrediting bodies. This makes it difficult to determine the reliability of the results that it provides. Additionally, there are very few customer reviews available for mytrueancestry, so it is difficult to get a sense of the overall satisfaction of those who have used the service.
Overall, while the concept of tracing an individual's ancestry to specific ancient civilizations through DNA analysis is intriguing, the accuracy of My True Ancestry's service is questionable. The limited number of ancient samples and the lack of true reference populations make it difficult to accurately determine an individual's ancestry. But if you’re looking for a fun way to map out your family tree and maybe learn you’re related to Julius Caesar, it’s worth checking out.
Another option for exploring your ancestry with your DNA data is Genomelink’s Ancient Ancestry Report. For only $29, you can get much of the same information provided by My True Ancestry, combined with data from living populations, making the results more accurate.
To find more DNA upload sites that cover a huge variety of ancestry traits, check out our article, The Best DNA Upload Sites.
