Need a gift for a special someone who seems to have everything? Or perhaps a friend or partner who is interested in their ancestors or just in history? AncestryDNA may be the perfect holiday present. And right now for Cyber Monday, Amazon is selling the kit for $47.00, which is 53% off the normal list price. The kit not only includes ethnic and ancestry information (based on its database of more than 18 million customers), but it also reports whether you have genes that could up your risk for certain health conditions. (The company lists those conditions on its website.) Here's how it works: AncestryDNA collected DNA information from groups of people across the globe, "from small tribes in Africa to farmers in the Irish countryside," says AncestryDNA. Once you order the kit, you'll receive a saliva collection tube, instructions and a pre-paid return envelope that you can drop in the mail with your saliva sample inside. The results are compared with everyone in the company's database to see how closely you match with others. You can then explore the results on the company's website. For Cyber Monday, Amazon is also offering a 23andMe bundle deal at 50% off. In addition to giving ancestry information, the kit also includes a health analysis. For instance, the kit can also look for genetic variants for diseases like Type 2 diabetes, using your genetics, ethnicity and age to calculate a percentage likelihood of developing the disease. The test also looks at a gene associated with muscle composition to reveal whether your composition is common or not in elite athletes. The test will also indicate whether the subject is a carrier of genetic traits such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, hereditary hearing loss, celiac disease, late-onset Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The extracted genetic data can even reveal the percentage of DNA that you share with Neanderthals, which interbred with early humans. One interesting gene test called the “cilantro taste aversion” will let you know whether you are likely to dislike cilantro. Perhaps, you already knew though? 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service: $199 $99 at Amazon With this test, you can learn about your ancestry and where your DNA comes from across more than 2,000 regions. Plus, it will give results on some "fun" genes that will provide the likelihood you can match a musical pitch or whether you hate the sound of chewing, the company claims. Source
