Understanding Your Results
"We are not makers of history. We are made by history."
What This Report Reveals
This report identifies ancient individuals who share identical-by-state (IBS) DNA segments with you. Unlike other ancestry tests that estimate population percentages, Shared Roots finds actual prehistoric people whose DNA overlaps with yours at specific locations on your chromosomes.
Each match represents a point where you and an ancient individual have identical genetic sequences (same alleles) at specific chromosomal locations. IBS segments may indicate shared ancestry, and longer segments are more likely to reflect genuine genetic continuity. Even shorter segments can indicate profound connections reaching back through countless generations, though they may also reflect population-level similarities.
Your matches span from 43975 BCE to 2000 CE - a journey through 45,975 years of human history encoded in your DNA.
How Segment Matching Works
Direct Comparison
We compare your DNA directly against thousands of ancient samples from archaeological sites worldwide, looking for segments where your genetic code matches exactly.
Shared Ancestry
When a match is found, it means you and that ancient person inherited the same DNA segment from a common ancestor, even though you lived thousands of years apart.
Reading Your Match Percentages
Each match shows a similarity percentage indicating how much shared DNA you have with that ancient individual. Here's how to interpret these values:
Significant shared ancestry - you share multiple DNA segments with this individual.
Notable genetic overlap suggesting shared ancestry in the deeper past.
Shared DNA fragments from ancient common ancestors - still a remarkable connection.
This analysis uses identical-by-state (IBS) segment matching against our database of 10,000+ ancient DNA samples from peer-reviewed archaeological studies. IBS compares allele states directly without requiring phasing, making it suitable for ancient DNA comparisons. Each match represents segments with identical genetic sequences that may indicate shared ancestry spanning thousands of years.
