Sifting Through Those DNA Matches

Okay so you've had a DNA test done. And the results begin pouring in.

But which one should you really pay attention to! It seems like you are getting thousands at once at times! Most have 12-marker matches, or 24-marker matches. But the ones you want to watch for are those where you are most likely to have a common ancestor within 3-4 generations, and the ones you are most likely have that close of a relationship to will be 60-marker matches. Once you go past the 3rd or 4th cousin line, you will find it harder and harder to make a match.

First, contact the person if they have not listed their family tree for perusal. Ask if you can get just a straight lineage for their ancestors (parents, grandparents, gr-grandparents, gr-gr-grandparents, etc.). If something matches after about the gr-grandparents or gr-gr-grandparents, you build on it from there and begin sharing information with one another.

Family Tree Magazine's blog had a great article a couple of years back. Here is a portion of their advice:

"If you’ve taken an autosomal DNA test at 23andMe, AncestryDNA, or Family Tree DNA, you likely have a long list of genetic cousins. After sequencing portions of your DNA, the testing company compares your results to the results of other test-takers in its database. If you share enough DNA with another test-taker in the database, you’ll see that person in your list of matches.

The company evaluates how close you might be to another test-taker based on the amount of shared DNA. See the image for a sample list of AncestryDNA matches (with usernames blurred for privacy).

In this guest post, Blaine Bettinger, DNA expert and author of The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, shares a quick tip for identifying your DNA matches with the best chance of aiding your research.

For test-takers with ancestry in well-represented areas (such as Europe), the list of genetic matches may be thousands of people long. A few of those matches might be close, but most will be distant matches who share just a small segment of DNA. How should you process all those matches? Which ones should you focus on to attempt to find your common ancestry?

Focus on your closest matches first to increase your chances of finding family members and learning more about your family tree. If you’re lucky enough to have a predicted second cousin or closer, review that match’s family tree (if the match has provided one) for familiar names or places from your own family tree. Since the relationship is so close, you may only need to build his or her tree out for a couple of generations.

If the match doesn’t have a family tree, you might be able to build one for them or contact the match and ask for one.

What do I mean by your “closest” matches? Simple: The ones with whom you have an estimated relationship of fourth cousins or closer. You have a pretty good chance of finding common ancestry (such as a great-grandparent) with second cousins or closer, and a decent chance of doing the same (i.e., finding a shared second or third great-grandparent) with predicted third and fourth cousins. Beyond predicted fourth cousins, however, you’ll have difficulty finding a common ancestor. In most cases, you’ll only want to pursue these more distant matches if you have additional concrete evidence that you share ancestors."

This all excellent advice and I hope it helps when you begin receiving your test results!

If you haven't done a DNA test yet, you can order your test from Ancestry.com HERE.

Or  from 23andMe HERE:

Who Am I?

WHO AM I?

DNA Helix Model

We are told our unique DNA is made up of RNA and consists of 46 pairs of chromosomes. 22 pairs of non-sex pairs and 2 pairs of sex determining. Females care two X chromosomes, while males carry both an X and a Y chromosome. It is the chromosomes contributed by your father that determined whether you were a boy or a girl when you were conceived.

When we decide to utilize our DNA to try to locate our family ancestors, it is these unique chromosomes, broken down even further into haplogroups, and many other sub-level groups, that determine the "markers" that are looked at to determine if one person is related to another or not. Much like we determine if one person is a parent of a child by a blood test, but with more accuracy.

In looking at our haplogroups we are able to best determine where our ancestors most probably came from.

Of course, none of these tests are 100% accurate, but they can be quite close!

In my own DNA study, we studied only the paternal line of family. It has the closest of the brick walls for us. We originally tested back in 2007. And we felt confident that a close relative would come about through testing, as our family is documented back to 1792 in America.

This has not been the case. Doing a paternal DNA study (known as a Y-DNA test, as only the paternal line carries the Y chromosome). We felt so certain. However, no results have matched us, in our over 10-year quest, except close 2nd or 3rd cousins, whom we already knew. (At least we knew the milkman wasn't involved with any maternal ancestors back to our known point! But I jest here.)

When a complete study has been performed for one of our known cousins, over 1,000 matches have been made.  But this is matching both Y-DNA and Mt-DNA (maternal).

We have had several matches with 12-markers and 24 markers. But these make the common ancestor back anywhere from 250-2000 years ago! No where near to where we can match up common ancestry.

It's the 67-marker golden ticket that we are searching for. I was so hoping we would find this match. But as each year passes, and we have no matches, I am becoming more and more frustrated. It is almost as if we were dropped here from an alien spacecraft, or something! (No, I am NOT serious, so please, no emails telling me we are NOT aliens!)

I am still holding out for that golden ticket! I am not so old that I can't continue to search daily in my in-box for a perfect match somewhere!  And someday, I just know it will come!

Family Finder Announced!

Family Tree DNA Launches Family Finder DNA Test Using Affymetrix Microarray Technology

Advanced Genealogical Test Uses Axiom Technology from Affymetrix to Match Family Members Across All Ancestral Lines

 
Family Tree DNA, the first and largest genealogical DNA testing company, today announced the launch of the Family Finder DNA test for connecting family members across all ancestral lines. The test utilizes Affymetrix' /quotes/comstock/15*!affx/quotes/nls/affx (AFFX 6.94, -0.22, -3.07%) recently launched Axiom(TM) genotyping technology and the GeneTitan(R) System to confidently match a wide range of family relationships within five generations.
 
Family Finder represents a major advancement over earlier genealogical tests, which revealed only connections along specific paternal lines (for males) or maternal lines (males or females). Family Finder enables anyone, regardless of gender, to look for connections such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, half siblings, and first, second, third, and fourth cousins.

"This is the most exciting genetic genealogy breakthrough since 2000, when Family Tree DNA launched its Y-DNA test to uncover relatives in the direct paternal line," said Bennett Greenspan, founder and CEO of Family Tree DNA. "The comprehensive, genome-wide coverage of Axiom Arrays enables us to offer consumers the most advanced genealogical test available at a price that is attractive to our customers. In addition, the automated GeneTitan System allows us to process hundreds of samples at a time with minimal hands-on time for maximum efficiency."

The Family Finder test analyzes the DNA of two individuals using Axiom Array Plates containing nearly 570,000 genetic markers, including many that are relevant to genealogy. Family Tree DNA then analyzes the resulting data with internally developed algorithms to determine the closeness of the relationship. The complete Axiom Genotyping Solution includes array plates, complete reagent kits, and an automated workflow that enables scientists to process more than 760 samples per week.

For more information about the Family Finder test, please visit http://www.familytreedna.com/.
 
The above information was taken from Market Watch on the Wall Street Journal.

Ode To The Family McBean

The following is my submission to the current Carnival of Genealogy blogging event, which is an "Ode to my Family" event, in which a poem, rhyming or not, or a statement, regarding your family; something appropriate to introduce a book or a video about your family, is to be written for submission.

My biggest brick wall is old William McBean, whose two sons were surnamed simply Bean. To date, we still do not know for certain where old McBean came from, or his past. His son, William, left a wonderful trail of paperwork to get to know something of himself. But the father? Well, it's all a mystery.

And so, I give you,

Ode to the Family McBean

There once was a family McBean
Whose history just cannot be seen

We’ve looked far and wide

‘No access’, ‘Denied’

Their records, it seems, are wiped clean!

They crossed river and mountain

Past springs that flowed like a fountain

To a valley most green

Settled family Bean

At the base of the place - Peter’s mountain.

For the son of William McBean

Who on no father could lean

Became quite known and quite wealthy

His own sons strong and healthy

But old McBean’s records were wiped clean.

Where oh where was his past?

McBean came from what caste?

For his children-poor-worked for others

They became indentured brothers

McBean disappeared really fast.

So where to look for McBean?

Perhaps in a DNA gene?

With test then layed

No matches were made
There’s still no word on McBean.

"Genetic Genealogy Made Easy" - Webinar Report

This evening I sat in on an Ancestry.com webinar titled "Genetic Genealogy Made Easy". The webinar was hosted Ancestry.com's Darlene Odenwalder - DNA Project Coordinator, Wendy Jessen - Director of Product Marketing - and moderator for the event, and Elise Allen - Content Writer.


Elise Allen - Content Writer


Wendy Jessen - Director of Product Marketing


Darlene Odenwalder - DNA Project Coordinator


The webinar was recorded and will be available soon on Ancestry.com for watching. Watch for posts letting you know of this!

Wendy went straight to the point: "DNA testing for genealogy works".
The goals of this webinar were:
* to make DNA testing easy to understand and how to apply your test reults to grow your tree.
* Ancestry DNA testing can continue to pay off for years
* women can benefit from paternal testing
* how to use Ancestry.com DNA features: groups, transfer to tree and ancient ancestry

DNA lets us know who we are, or are not, related to. The individual must realize however that DNA testing for genealogy is NOT CSI! It will NOT tell you who your father is! It does not determine your ethinicity!

THE SCIENCE BEHIND OUR DNA TESTS
Elise pointed out that "genes" are passed down from parent to child. They are the blueprints to help us develop, grow, and to even stay alive every day!

Genes are found on DNA. The double helix is the molecular structure that holds this all together. We have about 20,000 genes on the double helix. These determine things like the shape of our nose, the color of our eyes, the color of our hair, etc.

Cells give morphology and character to the body and are smaller than DNA. Yet each cell has entire copy of ALL of our DNA. A complete copy of every 20,000 genes is stored within a single cell. Yet each cell is job specific!

CHEEK CELLS ARE USED FOR DNA TESTING
While the webinar used a video of Chris Haley, "Roots" author Alex Haley's nephew, performing a cheek swab, I could not locate that video for a link, so instead, click here to watch a very amusing video of the process!

Sex chromosomes are different for males and females. Males have the chromosomes "XY", while females have the chromosomes "XX". There are 23 pairs of chromosomes for each individual. Chromosomes are found in the nucleus of every cell in the body!

Chromosomes determine gender. The also contain something referred to as "junk DNA". This "junk DNA" probably plays a structional role - but it DOES tell us how we're related to others. The test offered looks at a small amount of Y chromosome DNA from a male who swabs his cheek.

DNA TESTING IN THE LAB IS AUTOMATED
The lab testing looks at only specific areas of the DNA. As stated earlier in this post, it cannot determine ethinicity nor determine paternity.

Privacy is maintained by the lab at all times! When a test arrives it has a computer generated ID number [bar code] assigned to it. The name of the donor is at no time on the test sample as it is being tested! Just the bar code. WHen the testing is completed, the computer matches the ID number with the client name and the results are then forwarded back to the client [you].

Sorenson Labs, a lab well-known for it's quality and accreditation supplies all of the services for this testing.

UNDERSTAND YOUR RESULTS
DNA testing determine your "haplogroup", this in turn determines where your ancestor MAY have migrated from. This is NOT exact, but it is determined by "probability".

MATCHING
An in-depth report is given regarding possible migratory patterns of your haplogroup.
Your genetic makeup is determined in "markers", and a number is assigned to each marker.

There are some events that may cause differences in "known" relatives when tested. The scientific community calls these "non-paternal events". Old-timers used to call these the "milkman's baby", the "mailman's baby". A quaint old saying was repeated during the webinar: "Mama's baby - Daddy's maybe" [I hadn't heard that one in a long while!]

Ancestry.com will notify you of any matches they locate with your tests. You may then contact your match[es] without sharing your personal information or email by using their "Connection Service", which will send an email on your behalf to the the known match. You may then get together and share your connection at both parties discretion.

Women cannot take the Y-DNA test. This test is only for STRAIGHT PATERNAL LINES - or can only be performed by a male direct descendant of the ancestral line you are researching. For instance, I wanted to find out about my great-great-grandfather's ancestry. In order to do so, I, as a female, could not take the test. Instead, I had to use my Dad, or an uncle, or a male cousin from this line. If you are female your son cannot take the test for your ancestral line. His paternal line comes from his father.

'MY PARTICIPANTS" LETS YOU MANAGE A TEST FOR SOMEONE ELSE
You may wish to purchase a test for someone else to use, but you wish to follow the results. You may do so by assigning participants to the test.

What's the payoff for using a DNA test? MAKING A CONNECTION! But a true connection is a marriage of DNA and paper genealogy that will show actual relationships.

Once you have your test results, you can even attach them to your Ancestry.com family tree!

THE MATERNAL TEST
Only females pass on the mtDNA. She will pass this on to both her male and female offspring. However, only the female will then pass it on to the next generation. Therefore, an mtDNA test may only be performed on a straight maternal line. From mother to daughter, on the ancestral line you are researching. This test is performed exactly the same as the Y-DNA test with a cheek swab.

MATERNAL RESULTS
The haplogroup in this testing is the major result of this test. You will want to match someone else with no differences in the marker, which is quite different from the Y-DNA test. [The Y test allows for variants in the markers, and can determine with great proximity the number of generations back that the two will have merged.] The mtDNA test has limitations! Matches for the test may be from as few as 5 generations back, orup to 1,000 years back! There is no way to determine how many! So it is certainly not as concise as the Y-DNA. The mtDNA is used more for weeding people out of your possibilitiies rather than adding them to it!

CONNECT WITH DNA GROUPS
Once your test results are in [in about 4 weeks] join a group or start your own! There you can share pictures or other info regarding your research.

Ancestry offers the Y-DNA [Y33] for $79 or $149 [the Y46]. The latter of which is much more concise. These two tests will help you find genetic cousins. They will disprove or prove a line in your tree. And they can help you determine you ancient ancestry [haplogroup type].

My single most question was answered in the brief question and answer period following the webinar:
Can I import my test results from another company to the Ancestry.com's database and look for matches?
The answer was yes! Just go to the DNA homepage and look for the link at the bottom to transfer test results from another company.

This single hour webinar was most fruitful for the beginner at genealogy DNA or for the intermediate. I highly recommend my readers to watch for the recording of this event to be released for public watching!