Have you noticed that some of your family lines have many DNA matches and others very little? My dad is seven-eighths 19th-century German, one-sixteenth Pennsylvania German (18th century) and one-sixteenth colonial American/British. I’ve noticed that my dad has many matches on his Pennsylvania German side. However, there are only a few matches on my dad’s 19th-century German ancestor lines. As much as we want our match list to tell us about our ancestors, we have to remember that our match list also reflects who takes DNA tests. Some populations and some families are well represented and some are not. If...
X-DNA has a unique inheritance pattern, and knowing about it can sometimes help you figure out the ancestors you share with a DNA match. Men inherit a Y chromosome from their father, and an X chromosome from their mother. It is easy to imagine that an X chromosome remains unchanged just like a Y chromosome does when it is passed from father to son, but this is not the case with X-DNA. Here is a question from someone in the Research Like a Pro with DNA study group: “This is how my X chromosome compares with my brother’s on 23andme....
RootsTech is a world-wide, free, online family history conference that will be held this week. In addition to over 1500 class sessions, there is a fantastic feature called, “Relatives at RootsTech,” that can help you in your genetic genealogy research. If you’ve ever wanted to connect with like-minded family members who may share your interest in family history, as well as DNA, here is your opportunity! Do you ever wonder who the people in your DNA match list are and how exactly they are related to you? “Relatives at RootsTech,” can help you become acquainted with your relatives, and discover...
Today we have the following question from a Research Like a Pro with DNA study group member: If you already know the relationship to a match, is there any other reason to contact that match? Yes, there are many reasons to contact your DNA matches, from verifying their tree, to asking them to share their matches with you. As you establish communication with them, it opens the door for further collaboration. When you need to ask them permission to share their DNA match information and line of descent from the common ancestor, it helps if you have already been in...
Today I am answering a new question for our Research Like a Pro with DNA Q&A series: “Should I sort my 23andMe matches by percent or strength of relationship?” The RLP with DNA study group member asked this question during assignment 1, which includes sorting DNA matches into color clusters using the Leeds Method. The full question is: How does 23&Me determine “Strength of Relationship?” Is this a more valuable sorting mechanism to use for producing a Leeds chart or would percentage of shared DNA work better? Or both? I noticed some individuals with whom I shared up to 100-150...
We are starting a new series called Research Like a Pro with DNA Q&A. Study group and eCourse members ask questions, and we answer them with a short video. Today, the question is: “what is the significance of the first cluster in an AutoCluster or Collins Leeds Method chart?” I answer the question by showing an example of a MyHeritage AutoCluster chart where the clusters are ordered by size (number of matches in the cluster), then reclustered by supercluster (showing links between clusters). I also discuss the settings for setting up a Collins Leeds Method cluster chart so that...
When you start a family history research project and want to incorporate Family Tree DNA test results in the search for your ancestors, I have a hot tip for you! Use the AutoTree tool at Genetic Affairs. I recommend you use it at the beginning of the research project. The AutoTree report gives you a headstart on grouping your DNA matches in clusters of related individuals, connecting their family trees, and it gives you concise data that you can use in connecting DNA matches with your shared ancestors. There are too many important elements in the AutoTree report...
I’m delighted to introduce a new guest blogger to Family Locket – Rick T. Wilson. Rick joined us in our Research Like a Pro Study Group #7 and is a skilled researcher and writer. He is sharing a three-part series about his research to identify John Wilson’s origins using Y-DNA, autosomal DNA, documentary evidence, and historical context. Enjoy! -Nicole Identifying John Wilson’s Irish Origins, Part 1: Y-DNA Analysis by Rick T. Wilson Have you been fortunate enough to trace one of your American ancestors back to the 1700s but found no records indicating where in Europe they originated? Oh,...
Do you sometimes feel frustrated as you try to sort out the connections between DNA matches and shared ancestors? I do, and I think we all need help with this from time to time. The AutoKinship tool at GeneticAffairs.com can quickly offer possible solutions to the problem. AutoKinship can help you construct a family tree of DNA matches from 23andMe that point to shared/common ancestors when there are few clues about who those ancestors are. The tool is similar to the predicted family tree at 23andMe which groups matches by the amount of DNA shared matches share with each other....
In a previous post, I wrote about making a network graph using the RootsFinder triangulation/cluster view with AncestryDNA shared matches. Today, I’m sharing how to make a network graph at RootsFinder with MyHeritage matches. RootsFinder can create a network graph based on segment triangulation, which is a unique feature. You can also create a separate MyHeritage network graph using just shared matches (and no triangulation data). I will show how to do both types of graphs in this post. About RootsFinder RootsFinder, owned by FindMyPast, is a family tree building and DNA analysis website. The premium level allows the use...
