In this post, you will find suggestions as to the first things that you should do if you get a surprise DNA match. If you check your DNA matches and you find someone unexpected, what should you do? Should you contact them? Should you hide? Should you tell your family members? This post primarily discusses …
Do you want to know if there is a way to determine whether you are biologically related to your parents using your DNA matches? Even if your parents can’t take a DNA test, there are a few simple ways to find out if your DNA matches one or both of your parents. Note: Naturally, the …
One of the first things that we do when we are researching a DNA match is check the matches that we share in common. This strategy can help us figure out if our match is on our maternal or paternal lines. But what does it mean when a DNA match doesn’t appear to be related …
You’ve heard all of the experts say that the best way to build a family tree is by using your DNA matches, but how, exactly, is it done? In this post, I’ll explain exactly how your DNA matches can help you build your family tree. While ethnicity estimates are fun and can occasionally reveal something …
Got a DNA match that shows up in the first cousin category? Are you wondering how to figure out if this match is a first cousin or a half-sibling? Read me!
If you have been examining your DNA match list, you might have noticed that there are a few different details related to the amount of shared DNA that you have with any particular match. What is the difference between total centimorgans and the number of DNA segments that you and your match share? Which bit …
In this post, I’ll explain to you what a quick and dirty family tree is, and how to use the tree to figure out how your DNA matches are related to you. Have you heard someone mention a “quick and dirty” family tree? Are you wondering how building a quick and dirty family tree can …
Have you used the X DNA Comparison tool on Gedmatch? If so, you’ve probably seen a message saying, “No shared X DNA segments found”.
Do you have two relatives who are DNA matches to you, but not to each other? Are you wondering what this really means, and whether or not it could mean a mistake?
Do you need to figure out how you are related to a DNA match? In this post, you’ll find a checklist with the best ways to find the information that you need to figure out how you might be related. It can be confusing when you have a genetic relative on your DNA match list …