Heritage Album

can your blood type detect which part of the world your ancestors probably originated from?

For example, my blood type is A+ - I read on Wikipedia that the UK and the Americas most common blood type is O. A+ is usually most commonly found in Europe - so does that mean that if i trace back far enough in my family tree i could have some European family members? Sorry if the question comes across as a little uneducated - just curious.Thanks. x

Public Comments

1. not likely most all blood types can be found in the US.
2. They can trace your ancestry with DNA testing and tell what countries your families were from but I don't think it can be done with just a blood type. Here is one company that does the testing and some information on how it's done. http://www.dnaancestryproject.com/learning_center.php?id=1
3. DNA is a better guide. Many white Europeans have been found to have African related DNA.
4. I heard there is a DNA test to detect which is your main lineage or something like that.
5. No. All blood types have wound up in the US, and most of them have gone through the UK at some point. You can send a sample of blood to certain labs and they can do a genetic analysis that will indicate where most of your ancestors came from.
6. I don't think it works like that. U can trace your ancestors by how your skin complexion usually is and your jaw and nose definition. It may be difficult for the average person to perform, but it's true!
7. Certain blood types do trace back to certain places on earth. However today the world is a big melting pot and we're all kind of scrambled together so its hard to tell anymore. Do some research and find out!
8. They have been able to correlate increased blood types to different regions, but because of the way genetics works there is no way to say with 100% accuracy where your from using your blood type alone.
9. Not as simple as that I'm afraid, there are some countries where Rhesus negative people are rare i.e. Japan and certain countries have a predominance for a blood type eg Finland but as there are only 8 Blood types like that, A,O,B,AB (Pos/Neg) then you couldn't trace family members that way. There are also 100's of other antigens (types) on red cells and you can type people by these but again there isn't enough specificity to say yes you definitely came from there. For example:- There is an antigen called Gerbich, and Gerbich negative people can be found in Melanesia, 90+% of people but occasionally a Gerbich Negative person will pop up in other countries. DNA analysis is the only way really and even then you couldn't be certain in this well travelled world
10. Yes it can; so they say. How amazing.
11. Firstly if you were born in the u.k. you are European. Secondly if you were born in the USA you are most likely of European extraction. Thirdly you can only detect from a DNA test your heritage. Finally there are only A B O groups. Great question, I do love an enquiring mind. GOOD LUCK