Segments of DNA that reportedly match can sometimes be pseudosegments, or false segments. These pseudosegments were not inherited from a common ancestor. In this Research Like a Pro with DNA Q&A video, I discuss pseudosegments and share an example of finding a probable pseudosegment with a match at MyHeritage. When creating triangulated groups with MyHeritage matches following Jim Bartlett’s methodology, you can sort overlapping segments into two groups, one for maternal and one for paternal....
Do source citations continue to be a challenge for you? My colleague, Lisa Stokes AG, has developed a simplified method and course to help any level of genealogist. She shares her journey of discovering how to construct clear and consistent citations in this article. To learn more, see Lisa’s course description at Genealogy Source Citations Simplified, and follow her blog. Enjoy this fresh, new look at source citations! Diana By Lisa Stokes, AG Does crafting...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Rick Wilson. Rick joined us in Research Like a Pro Study Group 7 and is a skilled researcher and writer. In episode 198, he shared how Y-DNA and autosomal DNA pointed to John Wilson’s origins being in County Fermanagh, Ireland. In this episode he shares how historical context and additional documentary evidence aided his research. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro...
Are you interested in learning more about genealogy best practices and working toward becoming an Accredited Genealogist Professional or AG? There are resources available to help you prepare. I’m working toward becoming an Accredited Genealogist Professional (AG) through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) in the Southwest United States region. Several months ago, I learned that I passed the accreditation Level 1 by researching and writing a 4-Generation Project. The starting individual...
DNA Day is celebrated annually on April 25th to commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick. To celebrate, I am sharing ten posts / series at Family Locket that feature the use of DNA evidence to help solve genealogical research objectives. Enjoy these research projects! 1 – Colonial Pennsylvania 5th-Great-Grandparent In part nine of our Pennsylvania Germans...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Rick Wilson. Rick joined us in Research Like a Pro Study Group 7 and is a skilled researcher and writer. He shares his research to identify the origins of his 6th great grandfather, John Wilson. The Big Y-700 test was helpful in pointing to a specific county within Ireland. Then, Rick used autosomal DNA of a cousin two generations closer to John Wilson to...
Do you have a parent-child link that you haven’t personally researched but has been a long-standing fact in the family? If so, you may want to use DNA evidence and revisit the documentary research to prove that link. If you’ve tested your autosomal DNA at Ancestry and attached a family tree, Ancestry Thrulines will generate hypothetical placements for your DNA matches. These are great clues but it’s up to you to verify that placement. As...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Debra Hoffman, a professional genealogist specializing in Maryland and Germany and member of our Research Like a Pro with DNA online course. Debra recently took the Proving Your Pedigree institute course at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and shares her takeaways from the course. The purpose of the Proving Your Pedigree intermediate level virtual course was to create a narrative genealogy with DNA...
DNA Day is on April 25. It commemorates the day in 1953 when Watson and Crick published a model of the double-helix structure of DNA in the scientific journal, Nature. Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray diffraction images of DNA and research contributed to their discovery. We love to celebrate DNA Day, too! The innovation and advancements in direct-to-consumer DNA tests and tools give us the opportunity to bring our family history research to levels that could only...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how the Republic of Texas and State of Texas issued land to the thousands of settlers that poured in after independence from Mexico in 1836. We discuss the land application process, headright grants, colony grants, Texas statehood and changes in governance, preemption grants, and military land grants. We also discuss the Texas land survey system and how to find Texas land grant records. Transcript Nicole (1s):...
