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...]
Adoption & Genetic Genealogy
DNA testing allows our team at Legacy Tree Genealogists to use DNA information as a means of learning more about family history & genetic genealogy. DNA is a biological record of an individual’s shared ancestry with their close and distant cousins. By analyzing the types, amount, size and position of DNA segments that two or more individuals share in common, we can collaborate with genetic cousins and identify additional information regarding their shared heritage. In many cases DNA testing helps to solve family mysteries and resolve questions about adoption and biological family members that would otherwise be impossible to investigate due to lack of records.
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...]
How Genealogy Research Provides Comfort After a DNA Surprise
A DNA Surprise is an event in a person's life where they find out their parentage is not what they had always believed. In this article we talk with Right to Know founder Kara Rubinstein Deyerin about her own DNA Surprise and how genealogy research and other tools can provide comfort during this challenging experience. Tell us how you felt when you had a DNA surprise. I felt like a unicorn. Who grows up thinking they are half Black and learns they're not? I felt very much alone when I … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Mystery: Miss Mamie – a daughter lost and found
Genealogy adoption mysteries are found in many family trees, with stories and legends about ancestors passed down for generations. Like any good genealogy adoption mystery, the path to discovery can be long and difficult, but is always easier with an expert genealogist on your team. In this Legacy Tree Mystery, we reunite a family torn apart for decades and solve the case of the Mysterious Miss Mamie and her disappearance at the young age of six. The Mystery Mamie's mother died just weeks … [Read more...]
Technological Advances in Genealogy
Legacy Tree Genealogists’ Gretchen Jorgensen is a Research Teams Manager and specializes in genetic genealogy and DNA analysis. In this article, she discusses the impact of technology on genealogy with a particular focus on photographs, access to records, and DNA. Technological advances impact many facets of modern life, and genealogy is no exception. What has been considered traditional genealogy is changing dramatically, and technological advances are helping family history work become … [Read more...]
Better Living Through Statistics: What Are The Odds?
The What Are the Odds DNA tool is a free resource to help you compare the probability of relationships with your DNA matches. The advent of consumer autosomal DNA testing has allowed genealogists to use DNA results to break down seemingly impenetrable genealogical brick walls. Whether your research question is “who is my biological father?” or “who is my third-great-grandmother?”, autosomal DNA can be used to find answers about your origins. Suppose you’re looking at your DNA match list … [Read more...]
The Biological Journey of DNA Inheritance: Meiosis to Fertilization
Understanding the biologial journey of genetic inheritance can help in the interpretation of DNA evidence for genealogy research. *This article originally appeared in NGS Magazine, and is reprinted with permission. Different DNA inheritance paths can help solve genealogical mysteries. These unique inheritance patterns provide important context for interpretation of DNA test results and enable genealogical discoveries, but why is DNA inherited the way it is? What underlying biological … [Read more...]
DNA to the Rescue! Solving an Irish Genealogy “Brick Wall”
A case study that demonstrates how to use document evidence in conjunction with DNA evidence to resolve an Irish genealogy "brick wall". *Shared with client permission Researchers with Irish ancestors have often thrown up their hands in despair when they learn about the massive record loss on that small island. Knowing one’s birthdate or even one’s age was not an Irish cultural value until well into the 20th century, which further complicates Irish research. “Crossing the pond” to document … [Read more...]
5 Reasons to Hire a Genetic Genealogist
Have you hit an impasse in your research? It may be time to turn to a pro. We share our top 5 reasons for hiring a genetic genealogist. When does it make sense to hire a genetic genealogist? What can a genetic genealogist do for me? While the reasons for seeking the help of a DNA expert can vary, here are some of the most common scenarios we've seen from our clients: You’ve taken a DNA test at a major testing company, and now you’re sitting there looking a list of people who you are … [Read more...]
The Journey of DNA’s Inheritance Paths: X-DNA and Autosomal DNA
The stories in this article demonstrate how X-DNA and autosomal DNA can be used to solve research problems based on DNA inheritance patterns. *This article originally appeared in NGS Magazine, and is reprinted with permission The DNA in humans today has taken a far- ranging journey from ancestors of long ago. The stories in this column demonstrate how DNA can be used to solve research problems based on inheritance patterns. Each human has DNA, a biological code that affects many physical, … [Read more...]