Nicole and Diana open the episode by discussing Claude in Chrome for Pedigree Triangulation before introducing their interview with Mark and Steve about AI, who host the Family History AI Show. Mark Thompson also runs the Making Family History blog, and Steve Little writes on his Substack, Vibe Genealogy AI. Steve is the AI Program Director for the National Genealogical Society. They both teach widely about AI topics and family history, including their own courses....
I’m excited to share some enhancements to my Research Like a Pro with DNA genealogy research log template in Airtable. You can access the new templates here: RLP with DNA Research Log 4.1 (2025) RLP with DNA Research Log 4.1 (2025) – Blank The blank base does not include example data that you need to remove before using. If this is your first time using my Airtable templates, I recommend practicing with the base that...
In this episode of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast, Diana and Nicole discuss using Airtable AI tools to evaluate DNA matches. They explain that Airtable AI can make writing about DNA much more efficient and explore how these cutting-edge features can be integrated into genealogical workflows. The hosts focus on Airtable AI’s capabilities in long text fields, where users can write paragraphs, summarize information, and extract details into lists. They provide step-by-step instructions...
In the ever-evolving field of genetic genealogy, researchers are constantly seeking innovative ways to analyze and interpret DNA data. Airtable.com, a versatile database platform, is a flexible solution for logging DNA evidence in a genealogy research project. Airtable introduced AI tools for paid users earlier this year, and now, as of July 2024, AI tools are also available for free users! Update: the “generate text” Airtable AI feature is not for the free plan, but...
Diana and Nicole discuss BanyanDNA, a tool for analyzing complex family relationships in genetic genealogy. Leah Larkin introduced BanyanDNA in December 2023, highlighting its unique ability to identify unknown ancestors and alert users to discrepancies in family trees. Diana shares her experience with her own family tree, where her great-grandparents’ siblings married each other, creating double cousins. She builds a tree using BanyanDNA, adding DNA matches from various test-takers, and finds the horizontal tree orientation...
When we have a female brick wall ancestor with no clues to her origins besides a maiden name, careful research can provide a hypothesis that DNA evidence can confirm. In the case of my third great-grandmother, Clemsy (Cline) Weatherford, the research was challenging because of record loss in the northeastern Arkansas counties that could have held records stating relationships. I discussed the documentary research in federal and state records in my post, 5 Tips for...
When you hear the term endogamy, what communities come to mind? French Canadians, Puerto Ricians, Mennonites, Pacific Islanders, and Ashkenazi Jews are common examples. Some of these examples are from island peoples, so what about the Irish? Last time, I discussed the effect of a clearly endogamous community, Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ), on a relatively non-endogamous community, German, within my dad’s match list. My dad has more AJ matches with longer segments (greater than 20 cM),...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about endogamy, its effect on DNA analysis, and strategies to overcome these challenges. We discuss a client case with French Canadian and Acadian lines as well as making a network graph and analyzing it. Join us as we discuss calculating average segment size, sorting by longest segment, segment mapping, and more. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like A Pro. episode 236 Strategies for Overcoming Endogamy Welcome...
Can segment patterns help you differentiate matches with paternal grandparent from a maternal grandparent? A tool at DNA Painter helps you do just that. The tool is called Library of Matches – https://dnapainter.com/tools/lom, developed by Cody Ely. In a blog post titled “Introducing the Library of Matches,” from May 2022, Cody shares how he came up with the tool. He was working on an unknown parentage case and was trying to determine if a 333...
What is the value of taking an immersive DNA course from an expert in the field? New perspectives, information, and practical applications to genetic genealogy. I completed the Advanced DNA Evidence course coordinated by Blaine Bettinger as part of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. The course exceeded my expectations, and I took copious notes on the latest and greatest advances in DNA as it relates to proving and confirming our ancestors. I highly recommend...
