Theories of Family Relativity is part two of a series of articles to help you navigate MyHeritage DNA matches and tools. Read part one here. Genetic genealogy is founded on the observation that when two testers share DNA, they share common ancestry. In the case of autosomal DNA tests (like the one offered by MyHeritage), the ancestor who was the source of that shared DNA could be through any of the respective testers’ ancestral lines and could be any number of generations back in the … [Read more...]
Autosomal DNA Test Results: Using Ethnicity Estimates to Generate Genealogical Hypotheses
The material in this autosomal DNA blog article was originally published in the October-December 2021 issue of NGS Magazine. It is updated and republished here with permission. Autosomal DNA test results at the major genetic genealogy testing companies (23andMe, Ancestry, Family Tree DNA, LivingDNA, MyHeritage) include two main elements: ethnicity admixture estimates and genetic cousin match lists. While genetic cousin match lists are the most helpful resource for solving genealogical … [Read more...]
How to Understand Your Closest Autosomal DNA Test Matches
This article is based on a similar article from the January - March 2022 issue of NGS Magazine and is reprinted here with permission. We hope it helps you know how to better understand your autosomal DNA Test matches and what it means for you. Autosomal DNA test results at the major genetic genealogy testing companies (23andMe, Ancestry, Family Tree DNA, LivingDNA, MyHeritage) include two main elements: ethnicity admixture estimates and genetic cousin match lists. Ethnicity estimates are a … [Read more...]
6 Signs of Misattributed Parentage in Your Genetic Family Tree
While DNA testing and genetic evidence are certainly useful for breaking down challenging historic brick walls, the implications of DNA testing can also hit closer to home in the modern era when it comes to research on misattributed parentage. In cases of adoption, unknown parentage or misattributed parentage, genetic genealogy methodologies enable identification of close biological ancestors whose identities might otherwise remain unknown, and which represent immediate brick walls for any … [Read more...]
Nine Tips for Successful Adoption Research with Genetic Genealogy
While DNA testing and genetic evidence are certainly useful for breaking down challenging historic brick walls, the implications of DNA testing can also hit closer to home in the modern era when it comes to adoption research. In cases of adoption, unknown parentage or misattributed parentage, genetic genealogy methodologies enable identification of close biological ancestors whose identities might otherwise remain unknown, and which represent immediate brick walls for any genealogist dealing … [Read more...]
Five Ways to Use the New DNA Coverage Estimator Tool at DNA Painter
The DNA Coverage Estimator is now available and makes the process of identifying matching ancestors through DNA much simpler than ever before. In April 2018, Legacy Tree Genealogists published an article by Paul Woodbury introducing the concept of DNA coverage – the amount of an ancestor’s DNA represented in a DNA database through the test results of their tested descendants. Different descendants of an ancestor inherit different portions of that individual’s DNA. Therefore, they have … [Read more...]
Introduction to Ethnicity Admixture
Paul Woodbury is a DNA team lead and professional researcher at Legacy Tree Genealogists where he has helped to solve hundreds of genetic genealogy cases. In this article, a reprint from an issue of NGS Magazine, Paul discusses how genetic ethnicity estimates can provide valuable clues for the composition of a test taker’s family tree. This article is published with permission. Obtaining autosomal ethnicity admixture results is the primary reason many people perform DNA testing. The DNA … [Read more...]
Eight Steps to Pursue with New Autosomal DNA Test Results
Paul Woodbury is a DNA team lead and professional researcher at Legacy Tree Genealogists where he has helped to solve hundreds of genetic genealogy cases. In this article, a reprint from an issue of NGS Magazine, Paul discusses steps a researcher could take to begin using DNA test results. This article is published with permission. Several weeks after the submission of a DNA sample, the results finally arrive! An email appears announcing that the test has completed processing. It includes a … [Read more...]