Human genomes: sharing and difference.
Read an official introduction to genomic variation before interpreting ancestry comparisons.
Most DNA is shared
NHGRI describes human genomes as highly similar, with variation at several scales. A single summary percentage depends on which kinds of differences are included. National Human Genome Research Institute ↗
A reference is a comparison tool
A reference genome is not a complete representation of every population. The pangenome approach seeks to represent a wider range of variation. National Human Genome Research Institute ↗
Do not turn a comparison into an identity
When reading an ancestry visualization, ask what was sampled and what the comparison measures. Genetic similarity does not independently identify a language, religion, or polity. National Human Genome Research Institute ↗