Anglo-Caribbean Results

On this page I will attempt to provide some analysis for the West Indian AncestryDNA results which have kindly been shared with me or which I found on public websites. Due to limited sample size I will mainly discuss the results from Belize, Guyana, Trinidad and a few other islands in the English speaking West Indies (a.k.a. Anglo-Caribbean). Not per se representative of course but already very insightful in themselves. If you want to skip the discussion just scroll to the bottom of the page to see a selection of the West Indian AncestryDNA results. I will restrict myself to the African part of their Ethnicity Estimates as this is in line with the theme of this blog. In order to enable easy comparison I have scaled the African breakdown to 100% for all. Leaving aside any non-African admixture. For more details on my research methodology see the front page of this AncestryDNA section. Follow this link for an overview of all the Anglo-Caribbean results:

Spreadsheet with Anglo-Caribbean results

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UPDATE 19-11-2019: this article was first published on 19 Oct. 2015, when I had only 29 West Indian AncestryDNA results available for my analysis (see this link). Mainly from Jamaica actually (n=19). As my survey has been ongoing I have managed to collect a sample group which is now much greater. Which is why I have decided to split-off the Jamaican survey group (n=100). While this page will eventually be re-written based on the remaining results from the Anglo-Caribbean.

Please keep in mind that AncestryDNA’s ethnicity estimates have been updated several times now! On this page I am dealing exclusively with AncestryDNA version 2 which was current between September 2013 and September 2018. All matters being discussed on this page are therefore not pertaining to updated results (2018-2019). In my opinion especially version 3 (Sept 2018 – Oct. 2019) has been a downgrade rather than providing any meaningful improvement when wanting to learn more about one’s African origins (see this blogseries). Which is why I have discontinued my AncestryDNA survey. The update which is currently rolled out will be reviewed at a later time.

Follow the link below for a blogpost which offers my most recent detailed analysis of Jamaican genetics. In the first place with regards to the African regional roots of Jamaicans. But in addition I will also cover the Amerindian, Asian and European admixture scores being reported for Jamaicans on Ancestry. As well as variation in African admixture in general. With a special focus on substructure.

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Summary of Findings

Table 1 (click to enlarge)

Anglo-Caribbean Comparison

This overview shows my Anglo-Caribbean AncestryDNA survey findings (2013-2018). The data has been sorted on highest to lowest score for “Ivory Coast/Ghana”. The sample size for Jamaica (n=100) is of course not really rivaled by any of my other West Indian survey groups. Still already quite insightful for understanding how Jamaican genetics might relate to neighbouring populations in the wider English speaking Caribbean.

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Anglo Caribbean Results

As far as I know and was able to verify all of these screenshots below are from persons with 4 Anglo-Caribbean-born grandparents from the same indicated nationality. Meant to illustrate the individual variation among West Indians in the first place. Despite the limited sample size these results might still also be quite representative while a few of them could even show distinct patterns for their nationality. I like to thank again all the persons who kindly agreed to share their results with me!

For more information on what type of ethnic origins could possibly be implied by these regional breakdowns, see also this overview of charts based on West Indian slave registers etc.

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Belizean Results

Showcasing a diversity of main regions but mostly Lower Guinean ones just like Jamaicans. A signature feature of their breakdown also being a noticeable percentage of Amerindian origins.  Especially for the first set of results who are Garifuna, while all the other ones are Belizean Kriol, many of them however with partial Garifuna lineage.

The rather wideranging regional origins as shown for the Garifuna results are very intriguing given what you might expect about their African origins being more regionally restricted and bottlenecked. These are obviously still only individual results. Only a more numerous sample size might allow for a more generalized statement about Garifuna’s main origins within Africa. I have also included a few results from persons who strictly speaking are not Belizean but rather with family origins from neighbouring Guatemala or Honduras. Understandably so as the Garifuna are a bordercrossing ethnic group with a longstanding and admirable history of coastal migration. See also this map

Garifuna (Belize)

Garifuna

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Garifuna (Belize)

bz6

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Garifuna (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras)

bz7

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3/4 Garifuna, 1/4 West European (Guatemala, Honduras)

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In line with the previous Garifuna results when it comes to the regional distribution of her African ancestral components. However the appearance of a significant amount of European ancestry already indicates she’s not fully Garifuna. Notice how in the previous Garifuna results European admixture was (nearly) absent. While Native American was obviously reported at significant levels (13-18%). This person in fact has one grandfather who is of fully West European descent. Very interesting therefore how AncestryDNA is correctly estimating her European side to be about 1 quarter (27%). In addition she also shows a Native American (Carib) contribution of 13%.

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Ethnicity Estimates

Africa: 59%

  • “Benin/Togo”: 29%
  • “Southeastern Bantu”: 15%
  • “Nigeria”: 10%
  • “Cameroon/Congo”: 2%
  • “Mali”: 2%
  • “Senegal”: 1%

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This first Kriol result shows one of the highest “Ghana/Ivory Coast” ratio’s i have observed, it’s about 67% (46/68) out of his total African ancestry.

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Kriol

BZ1

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Kriol

BZ4

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Kriol

BZ2

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Kriol & Garifuna

BZ3

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Kriol & Garifuna

bz8

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Kriol & Garifuna

bz9

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Kriol & Garifuna

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BZ5 (Kriofuna)

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Guyanese Results

For more information on what type of ethnic origins could possibly be implied by these regional breakdowns, see also “Guyanese Slave Census of 1819 , less specified but still representative?” .

The first result showing a highly concentrated regional breakdown for the top 2, almost 80% (77/97) out of his total African ancestry.  With “Ivory Coast/Ghana” firmly in the top spot just like most of the results shown below.

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GUY3

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A truly sensational result shown below. It features by far the highest amount for one single African region i have observed. Perhaps not surprising it should be “Ivory Coast/Ghana’, eventhough i imagine there might also be Guyanese who will score exceptionally high for “Cameroon/Congo”. In my survey of AncestryDNA results across the Afro-Diaspora i found that it’s very uncommon for Afro-descendants to score an African amount of >50% for just one region (11/707=1,5%). This person not only accomplishes that rare feat but at the same also is of 100% African descent! Tracing back to Africa might be more easy therefore. Quite likely because of relatively recent lineage from Africa which meant less generational blending into the Guyanese melting pot. Guyana received socalled African contract labourers (really liberated captives) up till the mid 1800’s. Many of them by way of Sierra Leone.In fact eventhough the odds are very high that this person in fact is of predominant Ghanaian or Ivorian descent, there could still also (in part) be Liberian or even Sierra Leonean origins included in the 75% socalled “Ivory Coast/Ghana”.

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guy9

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Aside from the impressive “Ivory Coast/Ghana” score also a very noticeable “Southeastern Bantu” percentage.

GUY5

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GUY1a

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A rather balanced breakdown, still featuring “Ivory Coast/Ghana” in first place. But also the combined Upper Guinean score (“Senegal”+ “Mali”) is significant.

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GUY6

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A little bit over a half of this person’s African origins are from the “Ivory Coast/Ghana” region. Most likely indicative of Kromanti roots, eventhough other options still also remain possible (Liberia).

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guy

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Yet again a relatively high “Ivory Coast/Ghana” score in the result below. It’s exactly half of the African breakdown (13/26).

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GUY4

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“Ivory Coast/Ghana” is still showing up strongly in the result below but no longer in first place. As surely a bigger sample size will demonstrate Guyanese also receive other top ranking regions in their AncestryDNA results. In this case it is “Cameroon/Congo”. And in fact especially Congolese presence has been extensively documented in Guyana.

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GUY7

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Aside from the high “Nigeria” also a very noticeable “Mali’ score.This is what the person tested had to say herself. Interesting remarks.

My parents came from the countryside of Guyana.  […] Like most Caribbeans, they are very informed on their European and Aborginal Indian ancestry. Yet, no one knows their African lineage.” 

“my Ancestry.com DNA results surprised me in part. I know Guyana had a large West African population during the 17th-19th centuries and our culture is infused with Nigerian and Ghanaian traditions, but I never heard about Malian culture being integrated” (Read more via this link).

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GUY1

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Trinidadian Results

For more information on what type of ethnic origins could possibly be implied by these regional breakdowns, see also “Trinidad’s Slave Census of 1813 – Representative of African Ethnic Origins?”.

An exceptionally high preservation of just 1 specific African regional lineage seems to be shown in the first result. As a ratio to total African ancestry it’s above 80% (27/33), something which sometimes doesn’t even occur for AncestryDNA tested Africans themselves! Could somehow be caused by his relatively lower African ancestry or also recombination. Given a confirmed French Caribbean connection in this person’s family tree (as may be the case for many other Trinidadians as well, see blogpost above) the possibility of this “Benin/Togo” score pinpointing origins from within Benin’s borders might be greater than for people who are of strictly Anglo-Caribbean origins because of different French slave trade patterns with a higher continued focus on the Bight of Benin.

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Trini1

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A more balanced African breakdown for this person who also otherwise shows a very blended ancestral composition, incl. South Asian, a typical combination for many Trinidadians. But in fact also Amerindian, East Asian and European origins are present in addition.

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Trini2

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This result below shows a higher degree of total African ancestry than the previous ones. The high score of “Benin/Togo” is again striking. Also it seems her African roots are largely confined to the socalled Lower Guinea area, as the percentages for “Senegal”, “Mali” and “Southeastern Bantu” are minimal and only appearing as Trace regions.

TRINI3

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These results belong to a person who’s mostly (75%) Trinidadian but also partially of Grenadian descent. The top 2 combination of “Benin/Togo” plus “Ivory Coast/Ghana” is clearly predominant (45/69). Also noteworthy that despite having a significant degree of non-African ancestry, practically none of it is European.

TRINIGREN

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West Indian Results

Bahamas

Because of their geographical location, nearby Florida and South Carolina, the Bahamas might have received a somewhat different proportional mix of African captives than the other English speaking West Indies. Judging from the Slave Voyages Database (see also this screenshot) this could indeed be true even if intercolonial voyages are not included. Still the breakdown shown below seems fairly standard also for other parts of the West Indies, highlighting the inevitable overlap between individuals. We will need more Bahamain results to establish any distinctive patterns.

The 1% Native American being shown in this Bahaman’s results might strictly speaking not be part of his African legacy and is obviously a very minor percentage. But it could still provide a valuable clue in tracing some of his African descended ancestors and their experieces in the Americas! It’s only at trace level but might possibly be related to the greatly inspiring history of the socalled Black Seminoles, who originated in South Carolina & Georgia, being direct kin of the Gullah. Because of their yearning for freedom they first ran away to Florida. Subsequently they also escaped to Texas, Mexico and Oklahoma, but intriguingly a small subgroup also fled to the Bahamas! For more information follow these links:

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BAH1

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Bahamas

BAH2

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Barbados

Quite representative of the 4 main regional lineages for Barbadians as well as most other Anglo-Caribbeans. With significant additional “Southeastern Bantu”. Interestingly no African Trace Regions being reported.

BAJAN

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Possibly even more representative results given Barbados’s documented African origins. In fact the most outstanding aspect of this breakdown is rather the 4% Native American. This seems like a highly atypical outcome for Barbados and also most other parts of the Anglo-Caribbean. From what i have observed sofar Amerindian origins usually not being reported at all or just barely so (<1%). Not that surprising given the lamentable fate of the native populations throughout most of the West Indies. However this individual case seems to testify otherwise. Quite likely it’s more reflective of a unique family lineage rather than something that’s widely dispersed.

BAJAN2

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Barbados & Grenada

Balanced breakdown on the African side. Especially the top 3 is very evenly divided. Also noticeable how the minor 5% European is identified as strictly “Great Britain”. From what i have seen sofar such predominant British scores occur more frequently for Anglo-Caribbeans than African-Americans who often also tend to receive other North/West European regions in addition to just “Great Britain” or “Ireland”. Although also for them probably these last two regions are obtained most frequently on their European side.

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BAJAN - Grenada

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Barbados & Jamaica

An impressive 50+% share for the “Ivory Coast/Ghana” region.Such a predominant score for just one single African region is quite exceptional. In my survey of 707 AncestryDNA results across the Afro-Diaspora i only observed this for 11 persons! Four of those persons being Jamaicans, for whom this type of breakdown seems more common. Appropriately this person is herself of half Jamaican descent. Actually her Jamaican father’s result can be seen in the beginning of this section. He scored 100% African and 33% “Ivory Coast/Ghana”. Still her heavy pull towards most likely Ghanaian origins might just as well be a genetic inheritance by way of her Barbadian mother. Afterall also Bajans are known to have a strong Ghanaian heritage.

JAM & BAJAN

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Dominica

Again an impressive “Benin/Togo” score even more so because this person is virtually of 100% African background. Because Dominica has a history involving French rule and also French slave importations again the chances of “genuine” origins from Benin might be deemed higher than for persons of a strictly Anglo-Caribbean background (with no significant history of other European settlers). See also this previous blogpost:  St. Lucia Slave Census of 1815 , reflecting English or French Slave Trade Patterns?

However there’s no way to know for sure right now. It could be that this 50% is covering several family lineages all at the same time. Afterall it’s not one of this person’s parents who’s from Benin/Togo but rather the 50% score  should be reflective of a greater number of ancestors, mostly from the 1700’s who all carried these “Benin/Togo” markers in their DNA. It could very well be that the majority of these ancestors would have ethnic background from within Benin (for example the Fon but maybe also Aja or other Gbe speakers) but perhaps in addition also there’s some minor Yoruba (they also score “Benin/Togo” %’s when doing the AncestryDNA test) and maybe even there’s some minor Ghanaian (from a non-Akan speaking ethnic group like the Ewe) all included in the 50% “Benin/Togo”.

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DOM1

Grenada

gre1

Grenada

gre2

Montserrat

Quite diverse but evenly balanced results, also with notable “Southeastern Bantu”. Very interestingly this person also has been matched on 23andme with no less than 3 DNA cousins from Africa! They are from: Sierra Leone (Krio/Mende), Liberia (Grebo, Kru and Americo-Liberian) and Benin (Fon/Egun). It’s a bit tricky to place the Sierra Leonean and Liberian matches in this regional breakdown as they are themselves likely to be regionally mixed. However i’ve seen one Liberian take the AncestryDNA test and he scored mostly (81%) “Ivory Coast/Ghana” (see “African results“). The match from Benin however definitely adds an extra underlining and confirmation for the 20% “Benin/Togo” score!

It’s regrettable that no ethnic origins were recorded for the Slave Register of Montserrat in the early 1800’s. However much like other early settled plantation colonies in the Anglo-Caribbean, such as Barbados, Antigua and St. Kitts, it might be assumed that most people in Montserrat would have been locally born already by this time and perhaps even multigenerationally so. See also :

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Montserrat1

Montserrat

monts

St. Vincent

Again a diverse breakdown including no less than 6 Main Regions and leaving only 1% for Trace Regions. Interestingly “Mali” is showing up as number 1 region, probably atypical but showcasing that in individual cases Upper Guinean ancestry might be less diluted than it seems to be on average. This socalled “Mali” region is however not easily interpreted. It could be pinpointing origins from within Mali’s borders, but that country is said to be one of the most admixed among the 9 African AncestryDNA regions. Also in the Anglo-Caribbean Slave registers there are relatively few references being made to distinctly Malian ethnic groups, specifically the “Bambara”. Other ancestral options could therefore possibly be: Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone and even the Gur-speaking northern parts of Ghana/Togo/Benin and Burkina Faso itself.

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St Vincent

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Youtube Videos

BAHAMAS

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BELIZE (Garifuna)

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GRENADA

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GUYANA

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GUYANA

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GUYANA

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TRINIDAD

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Jamaican results

Follow the link below for a blogpost which offers my most recent detailed analysis of Jamaican genetics. In the first place with regards to the African regional roots of Jamaicans. But in addition I will also cover the Amerindian, Asian and European admixture scores being reported for Jamaicans on Ancestry. As well as variation in African admixture in general. With a special focus on substructure.

High “Ivory Coast/Ghana”

Especially the first 3 results are showing an impressive & predominant (>50%) proportion of most likely Ghanaian ancestry. Even when also Liberian ancestry could be picked up by this region (see African results). The combined top 2 score of the first result is also very high, it’s about 90% of his total African ancestry (87/94), while for Jamaicans on average this combined top 2 score would be nearly 70% and for African Americans and Haitians about 60% (see this chart). Indicating his African origins are much less regionally mixed than what’s average for Afro-Diasporeans. Something which seems to typify other Jamaican results as well even when not to this exceptionally high degree.

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JAM - Distinct

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This second screenshot looks very similar to the one above with the exact same amount of 53% “Ivory Coast/Ghana”.  One difference being that “Nigeria” is combined with “Cameroon/Congo” this time. However actually all of it could still be from the wider Bight of Biafra hinterland, as also Igbo’s show substantial “Cameroon/Congo” in their breakdown.

JAM12

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This nearly 100% African breakdown is showing a combination of “Ivory Coast/Ghana” with “Benin/Togo” instead. In spite of the labeling i suppose (non-Akan) Ghanaian origins could also be captured (in part) by that latter region, which would increase the overall predominance of most likely Ghanaian roots for this person. The trace regions seem to be very typical of the least significant regions for Jamaicans. Even when for individuals there might still be variation.

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JAM14

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Two results with “Ivory Coast/Ghana” amounts in between 40-50%. which is still very impressive. Also interesting how the minor South Asian admixture is more significant than any trace amounts of European origins for both. The 5% “Asia South” seen below is most likely corrsponding with the expected genetic inheritance of one single greatgreat grandparent from India (6,25%).

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jam24

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A striking regional contribution from “Ivory Coast/Ghana”. Not only because it’s in the 40’s range. But even more so given the relatively lower total African amount. Seen as a fraction of only the African breakdown it’s almost 2/3 (44/67=65%). The highest such ratio i have observed thusfar. Also noteworthy btw how the non-African admixture is almost wholly Asian and includes just a trace region of less than 1% European. The 3% socalled “Melanesia” is very likely to be derived from the South Asian ancestors of this person. See also:

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jam19

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Aside from prominent “Ivory Coast/Ghana” scores also “Nigeria” is usually showing up with rather high percentages as well in the remaing screenshots below. Two of the results also showing a noteworthy 100% African score.

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JAM3

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JAM5

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JAM18

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jam25

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jam22

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JAM2

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These results below also show “Ivory Coast/Ghana” firmly as number 1 region but otherwise it’s a very balanced and diverse breakdown. The 18% “Southeastern Bantu” seems to be remarkably high for Jamaican standards (as observed sofar it’s the highest score). It might very well be connected to either Angolan or interior Congolese origins.

JAM8

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jam21

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This result shows a lower total African amount but still the “Ivory Coast/Ghana” contribution is subtantial (23/53=43% of the African breakdown). Interestingly also the combined top 2 with “Cameroon/Congo” is very predominant (44/53=83%).

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JAM16

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High “Benin/Togo”

The first result seems to show an uniquely preserved lineage from just one African region, labeled “Benin/Togo” by Ancestry.com. It’s 78% (32/41) out of his total African ancestry. One of the highest regional ratio’s i’ve seen. Perhaps also to do with a relatively higher level of non-African ancestry and recombination but still very impressive. For possible interpretations of this region see discussion above as well as this page.

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JAM7

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An extraordinary amount of “Benin/Togo” being shown below. The highest i have seen not only for Jamaicans but also among Haitians!  Illustrating the regional overlap across the Diaspora. However the actual ethnic origins which gave rise to this score may very well be different. All things being the same the chances of the average Haitian having ancestral connections to a genuine Beninese ethnic group (or groups) are probably greater than for the average Jamaican. Ancestral ties with non-Akan speaking Ghanaians and southern Nigerian connections being more likely for Jamaicans. However in individual cases all scenario’s might apply.

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BEN8 -JAM

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JAM1

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JAM4

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JAM11

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High “Nigeria”

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This Jamaican’s breakdown could very well have been the breakdown of an African American person. It shows the four main regions showing up most frequently for both African Americans and Jamaicans. With a slight edge for “Nigeria” as is often also the case for Americans. Also the total amount of African is very similar to the African American average i observed for 350 persons (see African American AncestryDNA results). Obviously the minor European share consisting mostly of Great Britain is in line as well.

It goes to show the great degree of genetic similarity between Anglo Caribbeans and African Americans. From what i’ve seen sofar and allowance being made for individual variation, i would say distinctive African American breakdowns often feature a higher amount of either “Senegal”, Southeastern Bantu” or “Mali” when compared with West Indian results. Especially for people with higher than average amounts of African ancestry. Also minor Amerindian %’s will be more likely to occur among African Americans (even when usually 50%), highlighting their more regionally concentrated African origins. But besides these more “distinctive” (but not per se most frequently seen) results there will be many overlapping results such as this one.

As an interesting sidenote this person also tested his maternal haplogroup with AfricanAncestry and was found to match Tikar samples from Cameroon. The Tikar have also been reported as haplogroup matches for many African Americans taking the same test.

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JAM9

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“Nigeria” and “Cameroon/Congo” are shown as having the same share, however it could very well be that a part of the “Cameroon/Congo” markers were actually inherited from Igbo or otherwise southeastern Nigerian ancestors.  Also a substantial proportion of “Mali” in this breakdown.

JAM6

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The person below shows a high relative contribution of “Nigeria”: 55% (25/45) of his African breakdown. Possibly also because the total amount of Africn ancestry is relatively low when compared with the average amount for Jamaicans. But still impressive. Also the amount of “Ivory Coast/Ghana” is noticeable.

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JAM131

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A more regionally balanced breakdown shown below, even when “Nigeria” and Ivory Coast/Ghana” still predominate. Also notice the 13% South Asian which corresponds very well with the expected genetic contribution of 1 greatgrandparent from India (12,5%).

jam23

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Considerable “Nigerian” score given the relatively lower total African amount. Also interesting how these results show 2% Native American. Sofar (n=51) i have not seen similar scores for other Jamaicans who almost always show zero% or at most <1%. Based on that finding it seems that almost all local Arawak bloodlines have been diluted to near genetic extinction. However not so for this person whose parents are both fully Jamaican. Naturally i do not have confirmation about her greatparents or beyond. But the European breakdown, heavily dominated by Great Britain, seems to rule out any recent Hispanic family line which might have introduced the 2% Native American. Instead it might still be indigenous to Jamaica, even when strictly speaking not only Arawak but also other types of Amerindian might be hinted at. It is documented not only for Jamaica but also other West Indian islands that Native American captives were  brought over from the mainland, both North and Central America, mostly during the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. And even at times Amerindian mixed people might have volutarily  settled in Jamaica during the colonial era, specifically the Miskito.

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jam26

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High “Cameroon/Congo”

Even when relatively speaking Jamaicans might have a lower amount of Central African ancestry than other parts of the Afro-Diaspora, these results below prove that this is not always the case. “Cameroon/Congo” is clearly the biggest region being shown and makes up almost half of the African breakdown (42/95) for the first result. Technically speaking also Bight of Biafra connections might be suggested but given the minimal amount of “Nigeria” this seems less likely.

It’s interesting to note that i have seen both Haitian and African Americans with quite similar results. Both in regards to their total African amount being >90%, and their “Cameroon/Congo” being >40%. In fact even the remaining parts of their composition were not really distinct for any nationality, showing the great deal of shared regional origins within Africa across the Diaspora, at times also proportionally speaking. The trace amounts of “Senegal” and “Southeastern Bantu” and absence of any Native American do make this result appear typically Jamaican, but again not uniquely so.

I don’t know the precise family origins of this person, but some Jamaican parishes are known to have rather recent connections to Central Africa because of the socalled Congo contract labourers and their Kumina legacy. See for example these articles:

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JAM17

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Another result with a very pronounced “Cameroon/Congo” score. Even moreso because this person is of 100% African descent! Sofar i have seen 6 Jamaicans who scored 100% African (see this link for the most recent overview). Interestingly three of them had “Cameroon/Congo” as number 1 region. Now obviously these observations are still very limited in number. However it might suggest that for these persons especially their Central African origins are relatively recent. Possibly also to be connected with Congolese contract labourers who arrived on Jamaica in the mid 1800’s after slavery had been abolished.

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jam20

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Yet again a 100% fully African descended Jamaican with “Cameroon/Congo” being the topregion. This time however a Bight of Biafra connection (Cameroon, eastern Nigeria) might be hinted at instead of a Central African one. That is judging from the considerable “Nigeria” score seen in addition and the minimal “Southeastern Bantu” percentage. In fact even the “Benin/Togo” score might have been inherited from  Nigerian (southern) ancestors as this region is also frequently reported for them. See also:

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jam27

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High “Mali”

A very exceptional score is obtained for the person below. Even with a rather low total amount of African ancestry the “Mali” percentage of 42% is the highest i have seen among literally hundreds of AncestryDNA results for Afro-Descendants as well as dozens of AncestryDNA results for Africans! Such a predominance for a single region (42/52=80% of total African), is also very rare from what i’ve observed sofar. Ironically even for the socalled “typical native”, the 16 Malian samples used by AncestryDNA, only an average of 39% “Mali” was found! (see also AncestryDNA regions).

As mentioned earlier the socalled “Mali” region is not restricted to pinpointing origins from within Mali’s borders; also neighbouring countries could be involved, incl. Burkina Faso. It will be very fascinating to see where this person’s African DNA cousins might be hailing from.

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JAM15

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40 thoughts on “Anglo-Caribbean Results

  1. Why is the piechart saying a different result from the spreadsheet four Jamaica? The piechart says there is more Ghana/Ivory Coast(Akan)DNA but the spreadsheet says there is more Nigerian (Igbo)DNKA.

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  2. The piechart is showing the number of times a particular region was ranked as number 1 main region. The spreadsheet is more complete in that it shows the averages of all regions in the breakdown no matter how they were ranked. Keep in mind it’s all just a snapshot of the results i had available at the time i made this post. I’m still entering new results into the sheet so as the samplesize increases there might be some changes. Going by the data sofar it seems that “Ghana/Ivory Coast” is more likely to make the number 1 spot than “Nigeria”. But again the samplesize is rather small still.

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  3. oh, here’s a video of a Jamaican/Puerto Rican, seeing as I noticed you used a half Bajan then you shouldn’t mind this contribution. Check out his DNA results he did it with ancestry.com. 61.3% of his DNA is Ivory Coast/Ghana, judging from Jamaican history and the results I’m going to say this side might be from his Jamaican side. The bantu DNA he gets is more than likely from his Puerto Rican side also judging from the lack of Bantu DNA for Jamaicans.

    Youtube video

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    • Interesting, I agree his “Ivory Coast/Ghana” is likely to be reflecting mostly his Jamaican side. However some Puerto Ricans, especially those of predominant African descent, can also have significant Ghanaian origins, see also this page:
      https://tracingafricanroots.wordpress.com/puerto-rican-results/

      Jamaicans indeed show relatively little Bantu DNA on average however on an individual basis it will vary, see for example the results i posted for a Jamaican with 18% Southeastern Bantu (out of 99% total African). Also of course there’s the Kumina legacy of the Congo recaptives.

      ***Jamaican result***

      jam

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  4. I’m Jamaican and my test came back 96% african. 40% nigeria 18% mali 14%ghana/ ivory coast 14% 14% benin/ togo and 9% cameroon/congo. Senegal and bantu got 1% respectively. I also got <1% Britain 1% iberian peninsula, and 2% caucusus region which is very random. The mali results were much higher than I thought it would be. And i was expecting ghana to come out on top because most people mistake me for ghanaian plus I'm maroon on my mother's side. Either way I was very happy with the results pretty much 100% African

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hey Howard, thanks a lot for sharing those great results! I have included your breakdown in my spreadsheet under “Howard” (let me know if you like me to change into some other nickname/acronym).

      https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_sjsM56m-0ewGu1RlWbg2MtEwhWJrcbc4sRnvpkUquU/edit#gid=1314789195

      I would also love to include a screenshot of your results on this page as i find them very educational! If you’re okay with it please share your ethnicity estimates with me (FonteFelipe) by way of this link (choose “share full DNA results” if you also want me to view your matches):

      https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Sharing-my-Full-AncestryDNA-results-1460088592896-2580

      Your 40% Nigeria score is the secondhighest i have seen sofar for Jamaicans. Very impressive. Also intriguing given your Maroon background. Did you read this blogpost of mine already? The Igbo from Nigeria were actually the most frequent group mentioned in Jamaican runaway slave advertisements:

      Ethnic Origins of Jamaican Runaway Slaves

      The Mali score is also indeed above average however i have already seen quite a few Jamaicans who received similar amounts. The Ghana amount is still decent i would say. Especially when combined with the possibility that both the socalled “Benin/Togo” and actually also the socalled “Mali” regions might (in part) be inherited DNA by way of eastern Ghanaian ancestors (in particular Ewe) or northern Ghanaian ancestors (in particular Gur speaking groups). From what i’ve seen the socalled “Ivory Coast/Ghana” region is best equipped to pick up on Akan lineage from central and southern Ghana, but also in addition, Ivorian, Liberian and even Sierra Leonean ancestry might be described by AncestryDNA with this region.

      Like

  5. Hi, Thanks for sharing such wonderful information. I recently got back AncestryDNA test results for my father who is Trinidadian. His father was from Tobago and his mother from the San Fernando area. I was quite amazed that he had 100% African ancestry, given Trinidad’s diversity. His mix was 30% Benin/Togo, 23% Mali, 21% Nigeria, 18% Ivory Coast/Ghana, 4% Senegal, 2% Africa South-Central Hunter-Gatherers and 1% Africa North. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the breakdown. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hello Sasha, thanks a lot for your message and also for sharing your father’s results. This is indeed the first Trinidadian breakdown i have seen with 100% African. But i suspect many others might still also score very high African amounts, perhaps even more so from Tobago. I would say your father still has quite diverse origins and also in fairly even proportions. It’s just that all his regions are spread across Western Africa. One notable aspect is that there seems to be no indication of any Central or Southern African ancestry (as measured by “Cameroon/Congo” and “Southeastern Bantu”) safe for the tiny amount of socalled South-Central Hunter-Gatherers. The socalled “Benin/Togo” could be genuinly suggesting ancestry from Benin and Togo but might as well include ancestors from southern Nigeria or eastern Ghana (Ewe).

      That 23% Mali score stands out somewhat. Such relatively high amounts do occur with some frequency among other West Indians but it is still far above average (~6%-7%). It is fascinating to also take into account your father’s 1% socalled “Africa North”, as this region is often also found among people from Mali, Senegal and other countries in the socalled Sahel. For more backgroundinfo see also:

      Sahel / Interior (maps etc.)

      Very interestingly also in the Trinidad slave census of 1813 the socalled Mandingo were the fourth biggest group among those who were African-born. Although actually also other ethnic groups from that area were mentioned. For further details see also

      “Trinidad’s Slave Census of 1813 – Representative of African Ethnic Origins?”

      Like

    • Hello Sasha, i took the liberty to have a closer look into your father’s DNA results. I scanned and filtered his DNA matches for profiles which – like his – show only 100% African regions. The method i used is described in greater detail in this blogpost:

      How to find those elusive African DNA matches on Ancestry

      Out of his 1,184 DNA matches i was able to find 11 most likely native African profiles! Three of those matches would be Nigerian. From Guinea Conakry and Ivory Coast i found one DNA match each. And from neighbouring Liberia no less than 4 certified matches! With an additional two profiles quite likely being Liberian and also one profile belonging to a half Liberian half African American person! These Liberian matches are quite astonishing not only because the pattern seems quite consistent (the matches from Guinea & Ivory Coast most likely being related) but also the shared DNA segments are rather big for most of these matches (and therefore more reliable!). This could be very helpful to zoom in closer into the possible ethnic lineage hiding behind his regional breakdown. In particular for regions such as “Ivory Coast/Ghana” and “Mali”.

      It should be kept in mind that DNA from especially Liberia but also Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry will (in part) be described by the socalled “Ivory Coast/Ghana” region (due to a lack of samples). Therefore the country name labeling of AncestryDNA’s regions should not always be taken too literally! It is fascinating also that your father did not receive any Ghanaian matches yet, although this could always change of course when more Ghanaians get tested.

      Like

  6. So excited that I got my results today. I’m Jamaican American:

    48% Nigeria
    43% Ghana
    Low Confidence: 3% Cameroon/Congo, 2% Senegal, 2% Benin/Togo, <1% Mali, <1% European Jewish, "0%" SE Bantu

    Like

    • Congratulations! Your breakdown looks very much in line with the 100 Jamaican results i have seen sofar. Very impressive Nigeria/Ghana combo. If you have a screenshot to share i would be much obliged! I would love to include it for an upcoming update of this page.

      Like

  7. Moco of Biafra are actually the Efik the land is cross River stretch in to Cameroon.The British use to call them moko .That’s my people.Calabar in Efik land was a big slave port.Bakassai is part of Cameroon but it’s belongs to the Efik untill Britain and her friends divide it’s people.I think the south Eastern Bantu is a back migration into west and north Africa.As African in west and north a lot seem to have that DNA

    Like

  8. What’s the highest Senegal that you’ve seen in African Americans? That’s one of the lowest regions I’ve seen on results, but I thought that it was supposed to be like the Mecca of slave trading for West Africa.

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    • It’s still “only” 25%, same as it was when i completed my African American survey in 2015 based on 350 AncestryDNA results (see this link). Even when i have literally seen hundreds of AA results since. See also this post for more details.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. My husband and I just got back our results.

    He is Jamaican so mainly black but his grandfather is Chinese. His results were as follows:

    Ivory Coast/Ghana 34%
    Cameroon/Congo 17%
    Nigeria 16%
    Asia East 9%

    Low Confidence regions:

    Africa Southeastern Bantu 6%
    Asia Central 4%
    Asia Central 4%
    Great Britain 4%
    Benin Togo 3%
    Mali 3%
    Senegal 2%
    Ireland/Scotland/Wales 2%

    I am a Belizean Kriol and these are my results:

    Cameroon/Congo 17%
    Native American 12%
    Mali 12%
    Benin/Togo 11%
    Great Britain 11%
    Nigeria 8%
    Europe West 7%

    Low Confidence Regions:

    Africa Southeastern Bantu 6%
    Caucasus 3%
    Ivory Coast/Ghana 3%
    Ireland/Scotland/Wales 3%
    Scandinavia 2%
    Finland/Northwest Russia 1%
    Senegal 1%
    Asia Central < 1%
    Iberian Peninsula < 1%
    Africa South-Central Hunter-Gatherers < 1%

    I'm so fascinated by how mixed I am. I feel like I can't pinpoint my ethnicity to one particular at all. Would love to hear your thoughts!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Candace thank you for sharing your results! Very fascinating indeed to see all the various regional scores. West Indians and in particular Belizeans are known for having very diverse populations. However for correct interpretation it’s essential to realize that most people (incl. those who selfidentify with just one ethnicity) will tend to get their DNA described as being a composite rather than being 100% this or that. This has to do with genetic overlap, ancient migrations and intermixing from sometimes many, many generations ago, beyond family recollection.

      So looking at your breakdown it’s possible that for example all your European regions will still trace back to only Great Britain, as all these regions are being reported for “native” Britons as well. Also the 1% socalled Central Asia is most likely just a misreading of your Native American heritage (due to very ancient shared origins from Siberia). The 4% socalled Central Asia for your husband is most likely to be combined with his 9% “Asia East”. Adding those two up gives you 13% which seems to imply he had a Chinese great grandparent (1/8= 12,5%) and his grandfather would have been half Chinese.

      I have added both of these results into my online spreadsheet:
      Spreadsheet with Anglo-Caribbean results

      Right now your husband is in row 232 and you are in 237. It might be useful to compare with other people. I am intending to do an update of my West Indian survey shortly and then i will be able to give more details. But right now your husband fits in perfectly within the variation i have observed for 100 Jamaican results. The diluted Asian admixture is quite common. His overall African percentage (81%) is practically the same as my group average. Also having “Ivory Coast/Ghana” as primary African region is quite typical. His African regional mix also looks very Jamaican.

      I have less Belizean results to compare with (7 Kriol or mixed Kriol and 7 Garifuna). So keep in mind that individual variation is always a given. Still what stands out to me right now is first of all your Native American percentage being above average. Do you perhaps also have Garifuna lineage? Your socalled “Southeastern Bantu” score is also relatively elevated and more in line (sofar) with the Garifuna group average. It might however be related to your “Cameroon/Congo” score as Central African DNA is often described as a combination of both these regions.

      The most striking African score to me would be the 12% socalled Mali. I have not yet seen any Belizean score such a high amount, especially given that you have 59% African in total. Also among West Indians it is usually subdued although some people do score high percentages for it. It can be suggestive of various types of ancestry, not per se confined to Mali but also the surrounding countries. The 3% socalled Caucasus is also intriguing. It is however still a low confidence region, so without any additional clues its quite possible it might just be a misreading.

      To get more insight i would advice you to have a detailed look into your DNA matches as they might provide you more chances of pinpointing specific ethnic groups among your various family lines. See also this tutorial and the previous comments on this page in regards to the results of Sasha from Trinidad.

      How to find those elusive African DNA matches on Ancestry

      Like

      • Thank you so much for the reply. I do not have any Garifuna lineage as far as I am aware. The Native American would represent my grand mother and great grand mother who were both Mayan Indian. I knew I had this mixture but I did not expect it to come so high.

        I will definitely go through the link you sent me on how to find elusive African DNA matches on Ancestry as my results, as you pointed out, are very unexpected.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Your website is fascinating! …and so very timely. I just got my Ancestry DNA results and would like to share them with you. I am 100% Antiguan living in the USA for a long time. I was fortunate to know my GGranny who told me that we were Asante…she may be right!
    Ethnicity Estimate

    Ivory Coast/Ghana 51%
    Benin/Togo 19%

    Low Confidence Regions
    Cameroon/Congo 7%
    Senegal 5%
    Iberian Peninsula 7%
    Great Britain 4%
    Africa Southeastern Bantu 3%
    Nigeria 2%
    Mali < 1%
    Africa South-Central Hunter-Gatherers < 1%
    Scandinavia < 1%
    Europe West < 1%
    Ireland/Scotland/Wales < 1%
    Migrations
    African Caribbeans

    Then I have 150+ other regions! It's overwhelming but that 51% brings me great comfort 🙂 I'll be back to share my husband's results.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Debra, Thanks a lot for your comment and sharing your results. Glad you like my blog. Funny you should say it came very timely as i have just finished a new page on West African AncestryDNA results which might be VERY relevant for making sense of your own breakdown. Here’s the link for it:

      https://tracingafricanroots.wordpress.com/ancestrydna/west-african-results-part-1/

      One of the main findings is that socalled “Ivory Coast/Ghana” can indeed be very predictive of Akan lineage from Ghana. But in addition it’s also very predictive of Liberian lineage. As most Liberians in my survey tend to receive “Ivory Coast/Ghana” scores higher than 80%. For people from the Diaspora of course one thing doesn’t rule out the other as both lineages can be combined in one person.

      Your own 51% “Ivory Coast/Ghana” is very impressive and one of the highest such scores i have observed for West Indians. Although still quite typical as for many West Indians this region comes out as the biggest one, in line with their known widespread Ghana connection. Very precious to actually have a family tradition by way of your GGranny telling you that you have Asante ancestors.

      I took the liberty to have a closer look into your DNA matches to see if anything more specific can be said. I first scanned all of them and then i filtered them for both 100% African as well as 100% European profiles (see this tutorial). Looking at your possibly African matches (going by plausible ethnic regions, family names and other profile details) i believe you have atleast 14 of them already! You will have to contact them to confirm their background.

      Possibly 5 appear to be from Nigeria, which is quite amazing given that you only have 2% “Nigeria” ! I suspect however that your 19% socalled “Benin/Togo” might actually also be inherited (in part) by Nigerian ancestors. I go into it in greater detail in that new blog post of mine. But “Benin/Togo” despite the labeling is quite commonly reported for southern Nigerians taking the AncestryDNA test. In fact one of your possibly Nigerian matches has this region in first place!

      You also seem to have 5 matches from Ghana, and atleast one of them would be of Asante descent! So this definitely confirms your 51% “Ivory Coast/Ghana’ score. But that’s not the end of the story 🙂 Intriguingly you also seem to have 4 Liberian matches! Suggesting that not only Ghanaian but also Liberian ancestors passed on that part of your DNA, labeled “Ivory Coast/Ghana’ by AncestryDNA. This outcome is a perfect illustration for the main theme of my West African survey findings!

      Given your somewhat surprising 7% “Iberian Peninsula” i also filtered for 100% European profiles. I found 670 of them among your total of 2,692 matches. I only browsed through them quickly but did not see any apparent indication of either Spanish or Portuguese matches. Overwhelmingly the matches appear to be of British or West European descent (going by their ethnic regions and names). Only 2 of them had Iberian Peninsula in first place. Interestingly one of them is French and also has a public family tree. Nothing conclusive for your own score. But it does serve as a reminder that socalled “Iberian Peninsula” is not exclusive to either Spaniards or Portuguese. It is also very commonly reported for French people. And therefore “Iberian Peninsula” might also be inherited by way of French ancestors. See also:

      https://tracingafricanroots.wordpress.com/ancestrydna/dutch-french-results/
      https://tracingafricanroots.wordpress.com/ancestrydna/iberian-results/

      Like

  11. Hi, I received my results from AncestryDNA and I’m so confused. I seriously feel left with so many questions, and still confused about where I come from. My results came back as this:

    Ivory Coast/Ghana: 31%
    Cameroon/Congo: 30%
    Nigeria: 11%
    Senegal:9%

    Low Confidence Regions:
    Benin/Togo:4%
    Mali:2%
    Finland:2%
    Asia Central:2%
    Ireland:1%
    Scandinavia:1%
    Africa North:1%
    Europe East:<1%
    Great Britain:<1
    Africa Southeastern Bantu:<1%
    Polynesia:<1%
    Iberian Peninsula:<1%
    Africa South Central Hunter Gatherers:<1%

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks a lot for your comment and the appreciation! I hope to eventually update this page with my expanded survey findings for especially Jamaicans but also other parts of the West Indies.

      Cheers!

      Liked by 1 person

      • That would be great. My parents are Jamaican but I was born in England, so I would definitely be interested. Having grown up around people from many different islands, I’d also love to see similar research on their histories.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Hi,my Mother was from St.Kitts and my father from Barbados and these are my Ancestry DNA results.
    Based on your research as shown,why the difference between the Benin/Togo,Nigeria and Ivory coast/Ghana?

    Ethnicity Estimate
    Benin/Togo34%
    England, Wales & Northwestern Europe29%
    Cameroon, Congo, and Southern Bantu Peoples19%
    Ivory Coast/Ghana13%
    Ireland and Scotland2%
    Nigeria2%
    Germanic Europe1%
    Migrations
    African Caribbeans
    From your regions: Benin/Togo; Cameroon, Congo, and Southern Bantu Peoples; Ivory Coast/Ghana
    Lesser Antilles, Jamaica, Puerto Rico & Hispaniola African Caribbeans
    See other regions tested350+

    Like

  13. Hi Fonte Felipe, I have just stumbled across your website whilst starting to research my ancestry. I just wanted to compliment you on your hard work and dedication for your subject. As a beginner I have found your site to be a great resource that I will be referring to in the future.

    I have not ordered a testing kit as yet, I was thinking about going with ancestryDNA but your previous comment regarding the September update is making me think twice. Has the issue been fixed? or should I try another company?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks so much for the kind words Wendy! I am always gratified to learn my website can be useful for others in their ancestral quest!

      I have personally only tested with Ancestry as well as 23andme. I think both companies do still offer good products. As I myself have learnt a great deal despite shortcomings and sometimes disappointing updates. Choosing between either one of them would depend on what exactly you’re looking for. It used to be the case that Ancestry offered a far better analysis of especially West & Central African DNA. However given recent updates on Ancestry this may no longer be true indeed (until perhaps a new update?).

      23andme has lately also implemented rather promising new features, incl. a new African breakdown which is more detailed than before. But I need to see more updated results to form an informed opinion. For more details see also the last section of this blog post (“what’s next?”):

      https://tracingafricanroots.wordpress.com/2018/10/10/did-ancestry-kill-their-african-breakdown-part-3/

      Ancestry may have the upperhand still when considering their customer database which is over 10 million now and still growing. This should increase the odds of receiving African DNA matches. Generally speaking they are also more specialized in family tree research and offering services/tools to assist you in such endeavours.

      23and me on the other hand has the advantage of providing chromosome paintings, phasing with parents, haplogroups, and known ancestor birthplaces of your dna matches. Aside from their health reports of course. So really it’s up to your own preferences in this regard..

      Like

  14. My bf got just got his 23andme results back and we noticed that he shares large segments of his dna with people from puerto rico, trinidad, Panama and Jamaica. All of which are listed as 3rd and 4th cousins sharing all 4 sets of grandparents. Does this mean that he has roots in these places? The rumor in his family was that there was some roots in the Caribbean but we didn’t know if it was true.

    Like

    • Comparing family trees with these matches would be the best thing to zoom in to a MRCA (Most recent common ancestor). But generally speaking DNA matches can imply more than just one ancestral scenario. Assumptions about the direction of gene flow may be proven wrong after follow-up research. Context is everything and historical plausibility combined with solid genealogical research should be leading.

      Like

  15. Hey I just thought I’d share my results with you as someone of half Trinidadian/half-African American descent.

    On Ancestry I got:
    34% Cameroon, Congo, and Southern Bantu peoples.
    34% Benin/Togo
    10% Ivory Coast/Ghana
    7% England, Wales, and Northwestern Europe
    5% Mali
    3% Southern Asia
    2% Norway
    2% Ireland and Scotland
    1% Western and Central India
    1% Native America – North, Central, South
    1% Spain

    I should note that my African percentages are different on 23andMe where I got:

    32.1% Ghanaian, Liberian, and Sierra Leonean.
    31.1% Nigerian
    8.9% Congolese
    2.6% Sengambian and Guinean
    0.2% Southern East African
    0.1% African Hunter-Gatherer
    0.1% Sudanese
    5.1% Broadly West African
    0.9% Broadly Congolese and Southern East African
    1.0% Broadly Sub-Saharan African

    4.3% British and Irish
    0.7% Scandinavian
    0.6% Spanish and Portuguese
    3.7% Broadly Northwestern European
    1.0% Broadly Southern European
    2.3% Broadly European

    3.7% Broadly South Asian

    0.7% Native American
    0.2% Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma
    0.1% Broadly Chinese & Southeast Asian
    0.1% Broadly East Asian & Native American

    0.1% Melanesian

    I can post my other’s results too if you’d like. She was born in Trinidad to Trinidadian parents.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Bryce very interesting! Thanks for sharing, I would love to see your mother’s results too. Is she also on 23andme? If so it would be great if you could perhaps also send a screenshot or a viewing link (via the share button on your ancestry composition page). As I intend to start up a new survey of updated 23andme results for West Indians. Also would you know anything about where her grandparents and their parents were born? I’ve been in contact with several Trinidadians and i found it striking that many of them have either parents or grandparents who were born on other islands.

      Like

      • Hello again, yes of course! My mom’s parents were both born in Trinidad but like so many other Trinidadians, her grandparents were born in other countries.

        Paternal Grandad: Born in the Dominican Republic but parents were from Antigua and St. Maarten
        Paternal Grandmother: Trinidadian Dougla (of African and Indian descent)
        Maternal Grandfather: Trinidadian (biracial half Afro-Trinidadian father and half White Trinidadian)
        Maternal Grandmother: Born in Antigua

        Here are my mother’s results: https://i.imgur.com/LyHnRvK.png

        I’m also fortunate to have my grandmother’s results. She was born in Trinidad and her paternal grandparents are both Trinidadian while her maternal grandparents are both Antiguan.

        Here are my grandmother’s results: https://i.imgur.com/Xv6duZs.png

        Liked by 1 person

        • Hi Bryce, good to hear from you again! Thanks a lot for sharing those results and your very interesting family history! You seem to have done some impressive family tree research already.

          In the meanwhile I have already finished my 23andme survey. You can see a few results from Trinidad featured on this page:

          West Indian 23andme results

          Your mother’s and grandmother’s’s results fit right in the wider variation. But it’s noteworthy that they both have “Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean” in first place. Was this also already the case before 23andme had their last update?

          From my findings based on the 2018-2019 version West Indians do tend to have a high level of “Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean”. But usually “Nigerian” scores will still be somewhat greater. This was also confirmed recently by 23andme’s study “Genetic Consequences of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the Americas” which has an astonishing 282 results from Trinidad & Tobago (4gp)! I actually will be blogging about this study very soon.

          But like I said I suspect some of these patterns may have changed after the upgrade of 23andme’s algorithm in 2020. Have you found any associated African DNA matches yet? I intend to also blog shortly about the African DNA matches I found for 30 West Indians on Ancestry. Combining regional admixture with African DNA matching patterns should be beneficial for greater overall insight.

          Like

          • In regard to the Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean almost everyone on my mother’s side of the family has that as their largest African ancestral component. Ever since 23andMe got rid of the “West African” group and started specifying regions, that has been the case. Up until the most recent update it was also my largest African region but now Nigerian is my largest region at 32% while Ghanaian, Liberian, and Sierra Leonean is 30%. This is in spite of only being half-Trinidadian.

            Both of my grandmother’s half siblings are over 40% Ghanaian, Liberian, and Sierra Leonean and they are born in Trinidad to an Antiguan mother and Trinidadian father. Even my mother’s half-sister is overwhelmingly Ghanaian, Liberian, and Sierra Leonean. Her father is Afro-Trinidadian. All of their Ghanaian, Liberian, and Sierra Leonean went up after the 2020 update.

            Grandmother’s half sister 1: https://i.imgur.com/P3ZfoBy.png
            Grandmother’s half sister 2: https://i.imgur.com/e8NAK2q.png
            Mother’s half sister: https://i.imgur.com/LjcLPJg.png

            Unfortunately I haven’t found any African DNA matches yet.

            Liked by 1 person

            • Thanks for sharing their results, really interesting to see such high “Ghanaian, Liberian, and Sierra Leonean” scores. And also so consistently! This is what I really like about 23andme that it usually does not produce results which seem out of whack so to speak for close family, siblings, parents/children etc,. This sometimes happens on the other testing platforms, usually blamed on random selection but I have a hunch often also just a consequence of a shaky algorithm.

              Btw many South Carolinians (esp. coastal ones) also tend to receive high “Ghanaian, Liberian, and Sierra Leonean” scores. All things being the same you might want to assume that the odds of this piece of DNA being inherited by way of Sierra Leonean/Liberian ancestors will be higher for a person from South Carolina. While for West Indians, esp. Antiguans I imagine the odds of it being mostly Ghanaian DNA will be greater. In reality of course it could also be all three types of lineage in varying proportions. And even additionaly from other surrounding countries not mentioned in the labeling! (such as Togo/Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso).

              This is where African DNA matches could be very clarifying. In case you’re interested I provide a service on my blog whereby I will scan and filter all of your matches on Ancestry.com in order to find your African DNA cousins. As well as any other ethnic lineage you are interested in actually (European, South Asian, Native American etc.). If you have tested any of your family memebers on Ancestry as well I can analyze their matches with a discount. For more details:

              African DNA Matches

              Or otherwise try out this tutorial for yourself (requires some Excel skills):

              https://tracingafricanroots.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/how-to-find-those-elusive-african-dna-matches-on-ancestry-com/

              Like

  16. Hi Feiipe I have received my Ancestry results back, both my parents and great grandparents were Trinidadian. Here are my results.

    Benin/Togo 43%
    Cameroon, Congo, and Southern Bantu Peoples 27%
    Ivory Coast/Ghana 8%
    Ireland and Scotland 6%
    Mali 3%
    Germanic Europe 2%
    France 2%
    Sweden 2%
    Native American—North, Central, South 1%
    England, Wales & Northwestern Europe 1%
    Nigeria 1%
    Spain 1%
    Portugal 1%
    Eastern Africa 1%
    Norway 1%

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Hi,
    Pls help. Im trying to figure out my heritage. My father is not known but I was told he was West Indies. Mom is now deceased & cant offer any more details. What do you see from the below?
    Cameroom, Congo, and Bantu 29%
    Nigeria 27%
    Benin & Togo 17%
    Mali 13%
    Ivory coast and Ghana 5%
    England & NW Europe 4%
    Indigenous Americans-North 2%
    Senegal 2%
    Southern Philippines 1%

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Ann,

      I take it your mother is African American? Your DNA results are fully within the range of typically African American results on Ancestry I have seen myself. Generally speaking people from the West Indies (English speaking) will show a great deal of overlap in their African as well as European regional scores when compared with African Americans. Certainly when keeping in mind individual variation. So really there’s usually no unique distinguishing feature you could get from your African or European breakdown. At times West Indians might show distinctive Asian admixture with variable degree but this only goes for a subsegment of them. Either way your minimal 1% “South Philippines” score is most likely inherited by way of your African American side and suggestive of strongly diluted Malagasy lineage.

      My advise would be to take a closer look into your DNA matches. Try finding out which ones fall on your father side and contact the closest ones for further details. If your father was truly from the West Indies the odds will be very high btw that you have been assigned to one of Ancestry’s Caribbean communities. If this should not be the case and you are only showing up with African American communities instead this could already be tellling you something. Although it will not be conclusive because this community feature, despite being highly informational and potentially very useful is not always 100% accurate.

      Best of luck in your ancestral quest!

      Like

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