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Shouldn’t my sisters and I have the same ancestry results for our DNA? We have the same parents…

Because of how DNA is passed on, it is possible for two siblings to have some big differences in their ancestry at the DNA level.  DNA isn’t passed down from generation to generation in a single block. Not every child gets the same 50% of mom’s DNA and 50% of dad’s DNA. (Unless of course they are identical twins).

This has consequences in terms of how much DNA siblings share. And even more significantly, what DNA they share.

Rafi Mendelsohn, director of PR and Social Media for MyAncestry.com, has a great analogy: “You can test two siblings. You think they should get similar results. But the best example is chicken soup. You add vegetable, chicken and spices, and then ladle out a bowl. Then you ladle out another. There’s a bit more chicken in one bowl, a bit more vegetables in another bowl. Both siblings get their DNA from the same pot. It just comes out different in every bowl.”

Hope that helps!