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 that point to shared/common ancestors when there are few clues about who those ancestors are. How can this help you? The AutoKinship tool can reduce the amount of time you need to spend to discern connections between yourself and DNA matches. This...
It is an excellent time of year to think about the things we are thankful for! I’ve been thinking about DNA-specific blessings, and I made a list of my top 5. What are you grateful for in the realms of family history and DNA? I’m thankful for: DNA tests that can help us discover ancestors whose names and lives are lost due to time and memory. Newly discovered family members. Renewed connections with cousins and distant family members who share a love of family history or at least have an interest in it. The opportunity to increase knowledge about genealogy...
No, it’s not a game show or a board game – it’s a fantastic tool in the hands of serious genetic genealogy researchers! What are the Odds? (WATO) is a tool developed by Leah Larkin, and Jonny Perl at DNAPainter.com. You can use this tool to further your research in cases where you don’t know how a person fits into a family tree, such as in adoption or unknown parentage research cases. It can also be used as a sanity check when building a family tree to help you see if you have placed a DNA match into the correct...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is part two of Nicole sharing about her takeaways from “DNA as Genealogical Evidence – Advanced,” an institute course coordinated by Karen Stanbary at IGHR this summer. We discuss targeted testing, coverage, performing and writing about pedigree evaluations, Y-DNA STR testing as a comparative test, finding the most efficient pathway to solve an objective, clustering with Node XL, multi-kit analysis, and overcoming burned counties and pedigree collapse. Transcript Links IGHR Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at the Georgia Genealogical Society website https://ighr.gagensociety.org/ Genealogy Standards, second edition at Amazon https://amzn.to/3yDwoNd NodeXL – Visualising...
RootsFinder, owned by FindMyPast, is a family tree building and DNA analysis website. The premium level allows the use of DNA features and costs $5 a month. RootsFinder has a DNA feature called the triangulation (cluster) view, which allows you to view your matches in clusters – otherwise known as a network graph. In a network graph, the nodes are DNA matches and the connecting lines are shared match connections. I’m sharing how to view your AncestryDNA matches and shared matches as clusters in RootsFinder. Viewing your matches in clusters helps you find relevant matches that are probably related along...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about “DNA as Genealogical Evidence – Advanced,” an institute course coordinated by Karen Stanbary at IGHR this summer. IGHR stands for the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research, an weeklong intensive study program hosted by the Georgia Genealogy Society. Nicole took the course over the summer and shares some of the golden nuggets she learned from the case studies and other lectures. Join us as we discuss the Genealogical Proof Standard, DNA testing as an active vs. passive tool, and visual phasing. Transcript Links IGHR Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at...
When we work with DNA in our family history research, one of the first steps is to separate the DNA matches into groups or genetic networks. The Leeds Method by Dana Leeds was developed a few years ago as a way to separate DNA matches manually. This method was revolutionary in genetic genealogy! Evert-Jan Blom of Genetic Affairs was the first to create a readily available way of automating separating DNA matches into groups. This process is easy to order, and it takes only minutes to receive an interactive report. Genetic Affairs licensed the AutoCluster tool to MyHeritage and GEDmatch....
We share ancestors with every one of our DNA matches. Sometimes, we can identify the exact shared ancestor(s) without much effort. Other times, we need to put in more time and energy to discover the ancestral connection. A lot of our time working with our DNA matches involves building family trees or seeing where a previously made family tree intersects with ours. Family tree building by researching ancestors back in time is the primary effort made by amateur, intermediate, and advanced genealogists. We use DNA information in addition to documentary research to build family trees. Tracing the ancestors shared with...
When you hear the words “Forensic Genealogy,” what is the first definition you think of? One of my first thoughts is “DNA and documentary research.” Using DNA to solve unknown parentage cases is one of my areas of focus as a genealogist, and it is a significant aspect of Forensic Genealogy. I recently had the great opportunity to take the virtual Beyond Fundamentals: Hands-on Forensic Genealogy course at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). The pre-requisite for this course was Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy, which I took in Pittsburgh in 2018. There was a fantastic team of instructors! Catherine...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is the second half of our discussion about Nicole’s proof argument for Barsheba Tharp’s father. Join us as we discuss the documentary and DNA evidence that went into making the case for Barsheba’s father. The DNA evidence seemed to point to one of Lewis Tharp’s wives as the mother, but correct interpretation of that DNA evidence led another way. Transcript The following transcript was automatically generated by PodScribe. Links RLP 154: Barsheba Tharp DNA Case Study Part 1 – https://familylocket.com/rlp-154-barsheba-tharp-dna-case-study-part-1/ Color-Coding Ancestry DNA Matches – Alice Childs’ colored dots blog post – https://alicechilds.com/color-coding-ancestry-dna-matches/...
