Earlier last month, #TheLiteBreakfast partnered with EasyDNA Malaysia, to find out more about the process of tracing the ancestry by means of DNA testing. Asha Gill, one of the announcers of the show, has taken the EasyDNA Ancestry Test herself, and here are the surprising results.
Ms. Gill, a popular television host, deejay, veejay, and writer, was born in Pembury, Kent to a Punjabi father and an English mother with some French heritage (Source). This makes her a very interesting subject for an ancestry test. What could Ms. Gill’s DNA test results reveal?
“Do you think I could be adopted?”
Tongue-in-cheek, Ms. Gill made a lighthearted comment about possibly being adopted because of her ancestry test results – far from the boring and standard results she had expected! Despite being born to Punjabi and English parents, her results show the following percentages:
- 64% East Asian
- 32% South Asian
- 0.01% Iraqi Kurds
Ms. Gill has surprisingly more East Asian blood than South Asian! Even more surprisingly, the ancestry test shows no remarkable percentage of European descent. What could this mean?
“What we look like is not what we are inside genetically.” – Sharifah Khariah, Director of EasyDNA Malaysia
According to Sharifah Khairiah, Director of EasyDNA Malaysia, this could be explained by a concept called admixture. Admixture, particularly genetic admixture, is a phenomenon that happens when individual genetic lineages combine. This event results in the creation of new genetic lineages.
Admixture explains why certain racial groups demonstrate surprising genetic origins. For example, Ms. Khairiah shared that Gypsies, who typically reside in Romania, are actually genetically Asian, having had Punjabi origins.
Then again, it doesn’t seem that far-fetched when you examine the typical features of a Romani Gypsy: black hair, straight nose, darker skin, and a muscular build. These features are more closely associated with Punjabis from North India rather than a typical European.
It is the concept of genetic admixture that explains why, despite having a European parent, Ms. Gill’s DNA results predominantly show Asian genes. However, there is another possible factor that needs to be considered.
According to Ms. Khariah, right now, there is not a lot of data available for people of mixed descent. Britain, in particular, has not released a substantial database for people with mixed descent. This could also explain why the result of Ms. Gill’s ancestry test does not show significant European genes.
Adding to how people usually have surprising genetic heritage, Ms. Sharifah Khairiah shared her own DNA ancestry test results. She had expected to have a higher percentage of Middle Eastern heritage, but the actual results showed she had predominantly Southern European ancestry. The results also showed a mix of East Asian, North African, and Middle Eastern genetic lineages.
The results of the DNA test were definitely not in line with what Ms. Khairiah had expected, but they shed light on her personal heritage. Surprising as they are, the results of an Ancestry Test help answer some of the questions we might have about our origin.
Want to watch the entire video? Click on this link to see Sharifah Khairiah reveal Asha Gill’s DNA results on #TheLITEBreakfast.
