All of your https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933316730515-/hc/en-au/articles/53933330544787-Update-Q2-2022-218-New-Communities Traits results are based on your DNA. But we have two ways of determining those traits.
One is based on scientific studies that link a small number of DNA markers to certain traits. We call these “literature-based” traits. The other is based on Ancestry surveys, which we use to link hundreds or thousands of DNA markers to survey responses. These are called Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) Traits.
Literature-based traits
These traits are called “literature-based” because they depend on scientific literature. They tend to focus on a handful of DNA markers–sequences of DNA that help make people unique. The DNA markers we pick tend to play a big part in the genetics of these traits, though how large an impact your genetics has on any of these traits varies. (For many traits, genetics plays only a small role overall.)
Polygenic risk score (PRS) traits
Ancestry scientists are now developing PRS (polygenic risk score) traits. Unlike literature-based traits, PRS traits use responses to optional survey /hc/en-us/articles/53933378962707-Frequently-Asked-Questions (answered by customers who have also consented to participate in research) to link hundreds or thousands of DNA markers to a trait. Each DNA marker has a small effect.
Ancestry survey /hc/en-us/articles/53933378962707-Frequently-Asked-Questions play an essential role in our research for these traits. But your trait results are based on your DNA—not on your answers to survey /hc/en-us/articles/53933378962707-Frequently-Asked-Questions. Changing your survey responses doesn’t change your trait results.
To predict how likely you are to have a certain trait, we need data to compare your DNA to. That data (and the math that goes along with it) is called a predictive model.
To make a predictive model, we created survey /hc/en-us/articles/53933378962707-Frequently-Asked-Questions. Hundreds of thousands of people responded. Comparing their responses with their DNA gave us the data we needed. By comparing your DNA to theirs, we can estimate your trait results.
If you’ve agreed to our informed consent, your survey responses may be used for scientific research. Your answers are combined with the responses of other Ancestry users and used to detect patterns and differences. No identifying information is used. When we discover trends, we may share them with you and other users on Ancestry, including by creating new traits. Participation is not required to receive your DNA results or matches. When you share your DNA results with someone, that person doesn't see your survey responses, even if they're managing your https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933269700243-/hc/en-us/articles/53933269959827-/hc/en-us/articles/53933318476179-/hc/en-us/articles/53933340474387-test.
Learn more about Traits development
If you want to learn more about how Ancestry continues to develop new traits, you can read our traits white paper outlining the science behind our methods in detail.