Simplify My DNA Part 1 I know the feeling--you finally submitted your DNA test, excitedly awaited the results, they finally arrived, you logged in, and then…what? After poking around the website, it all seems interesting, but the question remains…What do I DO with it? There are 4 simple steps that will initially help you to understand and evaluate your DNA matches. As you work systematically through these steps, you will gain a better understanding of who shares DNA with you. This article focuses on autosomal DNA (atDNA), but the general concept may be applied to Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)...
We are pleased to introduce our new genetic genealogy guest blogger, Robin Wirthlin. Robin has a B.S. in Molecular Biology from BYU and a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University. Robin loves to use genetic genealogy to solve family history mysteries and break through “brick walls.” We hope you enjoy the first of her series of genetic genealogy posts! -Diana and Nicole An exciting type of information that can be used to identify and connect family relationships is DNA evidence. DNA, which is short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the genetic code carried in each of the cells in our bodies....
In May of last year, I wrote about a new third party DNA analysis tool called Gene Heritage in this post: Review of Gene Heritage – a Third Party DNA and Inherited Traits Analysis Tool. Today, I have an update! The grandchild report has been released, and I love it! Gene Heritage has done a wonderful job creating an accessible, fascinating, and research-based experience for learning more about your DNA results. As you know, we inherit 50% of our DNA from our mother and 50% from our father. However the amount inherited from each grandparent is not exactly 25%. If at least...
Are you struggling to make sense of the clues to your ancestry found in DNA results? Maybe you're an adoptee or working on an adoptee line in your family history. You might be missing an entire branch of your family tree and need a way to discover it using DNA. I recently helped my adopted sister, Nancy, identify her biological father through DNA networks and mind mapping. Today I'm sharing how I did it. I wrote about my sister's story in Using DNA to Find Biological Parents: 3 Tips to Get Started and a Case Study I'm happy to report that through...
Have you heard of GeneHeritage.com? The owners of this third party DNA analysis tool, E. Castedo Ellerman and Joseph Silver, contacted us and offered to show us how their company can analyze your raw DNA results and give new information about inherited traits. As you probably know, I am fascinated by inherited traits. I think it's an especially useful way to begin teaching children about genetic genealogy. Here are some posts I've written about this subject: Inherited Traits Family Tree Worksheet and coloring page 15 Genetics Activities for Kids “The One and Only Me” – Family traits book & lesson...
Should children take DNA tests? Thought leaders and genetic genealogy experts say yes. In keynote speeches and interviews at RootsTech 2018, Cece Moore, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Living DNA co-founders David Nicholson and Hannah Morden, reveal their thoughts about the booming DNA industry and how it can benefit children. Overcoming Prejudice LivingDNA is making great strides in the industry, especially in pinning down ethnic origins to specific regions within the British Isles. Yet they also have an altruistic goal - to overcome racial divides through DNA testing. Co-founders David Nicholson and Hannah Morden wowed the audience at RootsTech...
On Saturday, our local genealogy society (PCGS) learned about the power of DNA from genetic genealogist Cece Moore. Cece painted a vivid picture of autosomal DNA inheritance - that our DNA is literally made up of small pieces of our ancestors. We carry bits of them in our cells and this information can be used to help us solve long standing genealogy brick walls. Cece said that after testing with Ancestry DNA, we should sort our matches into genetic networks. Finding the matches of our matches can add additional people to the networks. This can be easily done with Ancestry DNA...
Have you heard of SLIG - the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy? I recently attended and want to share my experience today. I had heard of SLIG and other institutes but had never attended. Because registration is several months prior, in the summer of 2017, I decided to attend my first institute. Browsing the course titles, I decided "A Practical Approach: Establishing Genealogical Proof with DNA" would be the most beneficial for my research. Knowing this would probably sell out quickly, I registered within minutes to secure my spot. The course leader, Karen Stanbary, sent a welcome email in the...
Are you taking advantage of the tools Ancestry DNA has provided to discover and track your cousin matches? If not, read on and discover three tools on the website that are often overlooked and can greatly aid your DNA research. Tool #1: Add a note To illustrate I'm using my first cousin's DNA match (with permission) to show you how effective and easy this can be. The screenshot below shows the information displayed on my cousin match page. Notice that I have clicked on the star to turn it gold, signalling it as a "favorite." For me this means...
What are you doing with your Ancestry DNA matches? Are they just sitting there waiting for some action? If you haven't yet explored the surname search capabilities of the website you're missing out on a valuable tool. Let's take a look at how a simple surname search works and discover what it can do for you. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm going to guide you through this process with screenshots of my own search in my DNA results for the surname "Cline." My 4th great grandmother is Clemsy Cline, born 1818 in Alabama, lived in Missouri...
