The use of DNA and genetic genealogy have become widely used strategies for solving challenging genealogy research projects since DNA testing became available to the public in the early 2000s.
With our team of expert genetic genealogists at Legacy Tree, we can break through brick walls, discover unknown parentage, and make family tree connections that were impossible just a few short decades ago.
In case you missed them, below are the top five DNA and genetic genealogy blog posts of 2022 that can help you better understand genetic genealogy and possibly overcome brick wall challenges that could hinder your research progress. (If you haven’t done so, you can subscribe to our blog on this page.)
How Are We Related? Navigating the Terminology.
How are we related? That’s a question that we have been asked quite a bit lately, and sometimes determining that exact familial connection with someone else can be confusing.
- What is the difference between a second cousin and a first cousin, once removed?
- What does the “removed” mean, anyway?
- If my mom has a cousin, how is he related to me?
- Is my grandfather’s sister my great-aunt, or my grand-aunt?
If you have ever felt confusion over these terms, you are not alone!
Most of us know that our parents’ siblings’ children are our first cousins, and that our parents’ siblings themselves are our aunts and uncles. That’s easy enough to understand. It’s when you get to more distant connections that it becomes confusing.
How Do I Determine Genetically Equivalent Relationships?
An understanding of genealogical relationships is necessary before diving into genetically equivalent relationships in your family history. This article will provide an overview of both concepts.
Correctly evaluating shared DNA within the context of genetically equivalent relationships first requires mastery of genealogical relationships. Here we review important genealogical relationships based on some of the pertinent variables. For the sake of simplicity, we limit our analysis to biological relatives and exclude in-law and step relationships.
The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Y-DNA Testing
DNA testing for genealogy has become really popular in the past few years, and incredible discoveries are being made through DNA testing that in many cases, could not be made any other way. Most of the recent attention has been on autosomal testing. However, Y-DNA testing also provides great genealogical value, and while more limited in scope, it can be a tremendous aid in breaking through more distant genealogical brick walls.
The testing coverage of the Y chromosome has increased in recent years, and the cost has dropped significantly, making advanced testing an option for more consumers. This article is not a how-to on interpreting results, but will discuss some basics of Y-DNA testing, and hopefully provide some ideas for how Y-DNA testing might further your genealogical research.
Third Cousins Twice Removed and Consanguinity: Figuring Out How You’re Related to Your Relatives
The Ancestry.com app We’re Related has proven to be a fun novelty sort of parlor game. The app utilizes the information found in your Ancestry online family tree to look for similarly-named individuals in the family trees of various famous people: politicians, actors, musicians, and your Facebook friends.
In this article we provide charts and explanations on how to discover your connection to your relatives. It can help you verify your family tree and provide clarity to those relationships. And who knows, you just may find out you are related to someone famous.
Why Don’t I Share Any DNA with My Known Relative?
What do you do when you know you should be related to someone but through DNA testing you discover that you share no DNA? Is the analysis tool wrong? Do one of you have a big family secret waiting to be discovered? It’s not the tool, and regarding a big family secret—maybe yes, maybe no. It depends.
In this article we explore situations where you don’t share DNA with a known relative, why that happens, and what that means for your family tree.
DNA and genetic genealogy research can be rewarding as connections are made and your family tree grows. To get more information about how Legacy Tree Genealogists can assist with your DNA projects, contact us here.
Latest posts by Legacy Tree Genealogists (see all)
- Using AI Effectively for Genealogy Research - April 27, 2023
- RootsTech 2023 Recap: Uniting and Learning In Genealogy Family Research - March 10, 2023
- Legacy Tree Genealogists RootsTech 2023 Schedule - February 9, 2023
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