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When it comes to ancestry, people typically want to know about their family’s past and where they came from.
But there are other things influenced by DNA that can tell a person a lot more like the things you wouldn’t think to look for.
Of course, many are aware that physical traits such as hair, eye colour and height can be inheritable; DNA can also play a role in wellness, and sensory, behavioural and personality traits.
Ancestry, which specializes in family history and consumer genomics, surveyed 1,000 Canadian adults online in November 2022 and found that sometimes it’s the little things that can fill in the blanks.
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More than two-thirds (68%) of Canadians class themselves as introverts, but 46% of them had no idea this trait can be influenced by their DNA.
Meanwhile, 66% of Canadians know that DNA can impact a person’s ability to remember their dreams, but were you aware it also impacts the scent of one’s urine after eating asparagus? If you did, then you are one of the only 15% who knew that nugget of information.
Only 19% knew that genes can influence the likelihood of being a risk-taker, while one-quarter of Canadians get the “sprinter gene.” That’s right, it’s more than just how hard you train.
Meanwhile, whether you have two brows or a unibrow, it’s all on your parents, while they also determined if you are a morning person or night owl.
“From caffeine consumption to remembering dreams, advances in cutting-edge science and data now mean that we can identify the markers in our genes that are linked to a variety of behavioural, personality and appearance-related traits,” Laura House, DNA expert at Ancestry said in a press release.
Ancestry now has a “Traits” feature that gives people the opportunity to discover more about themselves and their family and have fun comparing their characteristics. Though it should be noted that the feature is not intended to help people diagnose potential health conditions.
If anything, what you learn will give you a leg up on trivia nights, provide you with a great conversation starter, or make for a fun party trick.
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