Genetic Genealogy – Page 2

DNA Gedcom – A 3rd Party Tool That Can Help Shorten Your Search

Aug 29, 2019

What if you could find an automated program that would help you... - Look through your DNA matches trees to find shared ancestors - Identify triangulated groups, and - See DNA segments that you share in common with your matches Would you be interested? DNA Gedcom tools can do all of that! Rob Warthen, who founded DNAGedcom in 2013, was looking for a faster, better, more understandable way to interpret DNA test results. He and a team of super smart generous volunteers created the tools in DNAGedcom that can help all of us work with our DNA results and find...

Chromosome Mapping – Visualize Your DNA and Identify the Ancestors Who Passed It On To You

Aug 25, 2019

Have you ever tried to explain your pursuit of DNA matches, and found it hard put into words? Have you ever wanted to see an image of your DNA and how it connects you to your ancestors? Chromosome mapping will help you come up with an answer! The goal in using DNA in our genealogy research is to learn which segments of our DNA we inherited from specific ancestors and use them to learn more about our parents, grandparents, and so on, back in time. Autosomal DNA is an extremely powerful tool that can help us confirm known ancestors and...

Finding Jeanie’s Father with DNA Part 4: Combining Traditional Research with DNA Analysis

Aug 16, 2019

Have you wondered how to apply traditional research techniques to your DNA analysis? By breaking my DNA matches into clusters, my search was narrowed to a single family with six sons. In this post, I will explain how to use the process of elimination with genetic genealogy and traditional research to narrow your search even more and get you closer to breaking through your brick wall. You can read my previous posts where I start from the beginning of the research process here: post 1, post 2, post 3. 1. Research Descendants: Usually when we do genealogy, we focus...

The Chromosome Browser: A Tool for Visualizing Segment Data

Aug 4, 2019

For most of us, the goal of genetic genealogy is to identify how our DNA matches are related to us. We want to determine our common ancestor or identify an ancestor who was previously unknown to us. Chromosome browsers help us do that. By determining that an autosomal DNA segment was inherited from a certain ancestor, we can use that segment information in the future to identify matches whose connection to us is unknown. Chromosome browsers also help us triangulate segments of DNA data shared with 2 or more genetic matches. When segment triangulation is achieved, we are able to...

Pedigree Triangulation: What is it and How Can it Solve Brick Walls?

Jul 25, 2019

Have you heard the term "triangulation" applied to using DNA in genealogy and wondered what it meant? Triangulation is such a powerful tool that the major DNA testing companies as well as third party companies are working hard to provide easier ways for using this concept. In this article, I'll explore pedigree triangulation and show you examples to help you understand what it is and how it can confirm your research and make progress on genealogical challenges. Two types of triangulation can be used with genetic genealogy: pedigree triangulation and segment triangulation. We'll discuss pedigree triangulation in this article and...

Resources for Learning About Genetic Genealogy

Jul 16, 2019

Do you want to start a DNA research project to confirm an ancestral relationship? Have you been wanting to learn more about genetic genealogy but are not sure where to start? Maybe you're interested in joining our Research Like a Pro with DNA study group in the fall and are curious about the prerequisites. Diana, Robin, and I have been talking about what basic DNA education would be helpful before doing a DNA research project. Some of our top choices include The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger and Genetic Genealogy in Practice by...

Finding Jeanie’s Father with DNA part 3: Identifying a Familial Cluster

Jul 12, 2019

Have you wondered how you can figure out which of your genetic cousins descend from a particular line on your family tree? Or maybe you have hit a brick wall in your genetic genealogy and are wondering what else you can try. In this post, I will explain the importance of identifying a familial cluster to solve your research objective and hopefully break through that brick wall. I will also continue the story of how I found my grandma's biological father. I hope that you are beginning to feel more comfortable with your DNA research skills By this point you...

RLP 52 – Using Your DNA Results: 4 Simple Steps

Jul 8, 2019

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about what you should do with your autosomal DNA results. If you have a huge match list and no idea what to do with it, this episode is for you. We'll go over four steps to help you get started with contacting cousins, noting your relationship, and preparing to use your DNA as evidence for future research projects. Links Understanding and Using Your DNA Results – 4 Simple Steps - by Robin at Family Locket; includes Robin's template for contacting cousin matches The Shared cM Project The Shared cM Project 3.0 tool...

RLP 51 – Which DNA Test Should I Take? DNA Testing Strategy

Jul 1, 2019

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about is all about the different types of DNA tests. Robin Wirthlin, our genetic genealogist, tells about the basics of DNA testing, which tests might help answer certain questions, and how to know which company to test with. Links Which DNA Test Should I Take? blog post by Robin at Family Locket DNA-Recommended Testing Strategy blog post by Robin at Family Locket The Shared cM Project 3.0 tool v4 at DNA Painter Buy a DNA Test: Ancestry DNA Test - affiliate link 23andMe DNA Test - affiliate link How to Transfer DNA...

10 Ways to Group Your DNA Matches into Genetic Networks

Jun 11, 2019

A great way to get the most out of the list of your DNA matches is to separate the people into groups that cluster around one of your ancestral lines. If you can divide your match list into groups, you can focus on finding the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) that you share with that cluster of people. Once that common ancestor or ancestral couple is identified, you can focus your research on one familial line, and identify the DNA that you inherited from the common ancestor(s). The groups of related people are sometimes called “Clusters” or “Genetic Networks.” Goals...