What changed?

Behind the scenes, what changed is the type and amount of data we used to calculate your results. 

Most of your traits used to be literature-based, meaning we looked at studies of a handful of specific genes and reported your results based on whether or not you had those genes. Now, most of your traits are based on genetic trends we found in customer survey responses.Your new results are based on hundreds of thousands of genes, not just a few. 
 

Why did my results change? 

Our new approach for predicting your traits looks at many more of your DNA markers. This allows us to make more precise predictions, so some of your results may have changed. We've recalculated your results based on this new approach, and the additional data may have provided information we didn't have when we reported your previous trait results.
 

How were my new results calculated?

Ancestry survey 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 questions. Changing your survey responses won’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 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. Read more about traits prediction