Ancestry websites that claim to reveal whether our forebears were Viking, Saxon, or Roman are ‘complete bunkum’, according to a geneticist.
Dr Tom Booth, who studied the DNA of Cheddar Man, said any results offered from before 300 years ago were likely to be ‘cloudy’.
He also criticised results that linked to populations pre-1,000AD – suggesting everyone would have been an ancestor at that stage. For up to £150, people interested in their genetic make-up are invited by various ancestry websites to find out their ancestry by sending in a sample of saliva.
Professor Tom Booth wpictured at the Chalke Valley History Festival, sponsored by the Daily Mail, where he gave the talk on genetics
Speaking at the Chalke Valley History Festival, sponsored by the Daily Mail, Dr Booth said: ‘You just have to consider them a bit of fun. There are people that are constructing their entire identities around these tests which is not a good way to go.
‘There are a lot of disappointed white supremacists in America who are doing these tests and then finding out they have some African ancestry and they get very angry.’
National Geographic offers a DNA kit claiming to help ‘discover the complete story of your ancestors’ journey from 200,000 years ago to today’.
And for £79, Ancestry.co.uk says its testing kit can ‘reveal your ethnic mix and ancestors you never knew you had – places and people deep in your past where records can’t always take you’.
While ancestry company 23andMe invites customers, for £59, to ‘discover how much Neanderthal you have’ and see where ancestors come from across more than 150 countries.
Professor Booth who studied the DNA of the so-called ‘Cheddar Man’ (pictured) argued any results from over 300 years are likely to be ‘cloudy’
Dr Booth said: ‘These companies… market themselves as linking you to early-medieval populations, which is complete bunkum, you can’t do that.’
He said: ‘The adverts that show they can tell you whether you are Viking or Saxons or whatever, I’ve got a problem with that because they can’t.
‘Because everyone in the 9th century, if they’ve successfully passed on a descendant, is your ancestor.’ He suggested perhaps the motivation for some of the wilder claims was to make ‘a lot of money’. Dr Booth worked on the DNA testing of Cheddar Man, Britain’s oldest complete skeleton from 10,000 years ago, in which it was revealed he may have had darker skin than first thought.
National Geographic, Ancestry.co.uk were unable to comment last night. 23andMe said: ‘The percentage breakdown we provide in our Ancestry Composition report traces heritage back roughly 300-500 years and is quite accurate.’