Most people aren't really expecting surprises when they do a DNA test, but almost everyone gets at least a small surprise - if they look hard enough at their results. Some people find out that they have different biological parents than they thought they did, others discover new close relatives, and others find out that …
When you are examining a DNA match, one of the best indicators of how far back your common ancestor might be is the size of your shared DNA segments. Generally, the common wisdom is that the longer the segment, the closer the relationship between you and your DNA match. In other words, the longer the …
If you are exploring your DNA results and find a new sibling, or are wondering if you and your known siblings share the expected amount of DNA, you have come to the right place. In this post, I'll tell you what you need to know about the number of shared DNA segments between siblings. How …
Want an example of how DNA segments get smaller over generations? Here, see how a segment breaks up over time, and how this affects your DNA match list.
The best way to figure out how you are related to a DNA match is to build a basic family tree for them back to your common ancestor. In this post, learn why this works and how to do it. I know that this sounds like a crazy idea. You have enough work on your …
What is a double-fourth cousin, and how are they related? Do double-fourth cousins share more DNA with each other than they would otherwise? In this post, I'll explain the meaning of a double-fourth cousin, show you an example of my own double-fourth cousin, and talk about how this "double" relationship affects the amount of DNA …
(Note: to read about which grandparent you might be more related to, click here: Which Grandparent Are You Most Related To?) Congratulations on purchasing your DNA test! While you are waiting for your test to arrive or for your results to come back, there are some important steps that you can take to make sure …
Are you wondering what to expect from your DNA ethnicity estimate? Perhaps you are trying to determine which company offers the most detailed, or most accurate ethnicity estimate. In this post, I will show you my complete ethnicity results from Ancestry DNA, 23 and Me, Family Tree DNA, and My Heritage DNA. My sincere hope …
If you discover a secret through DNA testing, should you keep the secret, or should you expose it? What you decide to do is up to you, but you will get some ideas and guidance in this post. Most people get interested in DNA testing to find out where their family came from. Basically, they …
Want a way to use your unique DNA to find biological family connections? You can use DNA testing to find relatives, and I'll tell you exactly how to do it.
Why don't I have an ethnicity that my parent has? How is this possible? Does it mean DNA results aren't real? Find answers to these questions and more!
Should your ethnicity estimate match your family tree? In this post, learn whether your DNA results will match your known origins.
Are you wondering what you can see on Ancestry DNA without paying a monthly subscription?
Here, you will learn the most common objections to DNA testing and responses that you can use to help your family member or friend get a better understanding of the amazing world of genealogical DNA testing. This is the best way to help them understand what they might be able to learn from taking a …
Do we share DNA with all of our relatives? Find out when a relative should share DNA, and when you might not share DNA with people in your family tree.
What does it mean if you don't match the parents of your DNA match? Here, I'll explain reasons that you might match the parents of your DNA matches.
Are you looking for an easy way to figure out if your DNA matches are on your paternal or maternal side? If one of your parents has done a DNA test, and you have access to the results, you can using the Phasing tool on Gedmatch to separate them by maternal and paternal lines. This …
If you are looking at a DNA match and wonder if it is normal for you and your siblings to share different amounts of DNA with said match, you have come to the right place. In this post, you will learn why sharing more or less centimorgans (cMs) with a match than your sibling doesn't …
Family Tree DNA is a great site for finding DNA matches and learning more about your ancestry. In this post, learn how to upload your DNA to the site.
Read here to find out what to do when you get a close DNA match. Plus, learn a few strategies that might help you find out how you are connected.
"Low sharing" is a term often used by genetic genealogists to describe an amount of DNA that is towards the low end, or even lower than the bottom range of the typical amount of shared autosomal DNA for two people for a given relationship. In this post, you'll learn: Note: "Low sharing" is a term …
If you took a DNA test, you should know that your DNA matches are actually the best part of your results. In this post, learn what you can do with your DNA matches.
If you know that you have half-siblings, or you think that you might, it's completely natural to be curious about them. As DNA testing becomes more popular, it becomes easier to find living DNA relatives, including half-siblings, around the country - or even world. In this post, I'll explain some strategies for finding your half-siblings …
Do you want to learn the meaning of European Jewish? In this post, learn what this term means, a bit about the history of the European Jewish people, and the answer to other common questions. I first began wondering about the meaning of European Jewish when I first saw my Ancestry DNA results and saw …
Is common to have a DNA match who matches both sides of your family tree? In this post, learn whether this is possible and how it happens.
If you have Mexican ancestry, you might be wondering whether or not you have Native American DNA. Or maybe you already did a DNA test, and you want to know more about how and why your Mexican roots might show up as Native American on a DNA test. In this post, I'll discuss this, plus …
Do you have cousin matches that show up as a potential third cousin to you? In this post, learn what a third cousin DNA match really is. You will also find out: what it means to have a third cousin DNA match how much DNA you share with a third cousin whether or not your …
Want to learn more about the triangulation feature on My Heritage DNA? Find out how to use triangulation to learn more from your DNA matches.
Have you noticed that shared DNA segments with the same relative on different testing sites don't have identical locations on the chromosome? In this post, find out the reason why this happens.
If you have Welsh ancestry and are thinking about taking a DNA test, or have already taken one, you might be curious about how your Welsh roots will look on your ethnicity results. In this post, I will explain the basics of Welsh DNA, from how it shows up on autosomal DNA tests to the …
One of the unique challenges that you might encounter while researching your Mexican DNA matches is endogamy. What in the world is endogamy, and what does it have to do with Mexico and DNA matches? Endogamy is simply a fancy word that means intermarriage within a particular community or area. Basically, it's just the practice …
What is a second cousin DNA match? Are second cousin matches accurate? Find out what this really means, and how you are connected in this post!
Linking your tree to your Ancestry DNA results is a great way to get the most from your DNA test. In this post, I'll explain some of the benefits of attaching your DNA to your family tree.
If you are thinking about doing a DNA test, or just got your results back, you might be wondering what you can learn from your DNA match list. DNA matches are my favorite aspect of DNA testing, since each match has the potential to provide valuable information, help you solve a family mystery, and provide …
Have you heard from others that Native American doesn't show up in DNA? I get this question frequently, and I've seen people suggest that Native American DNA doesn't show up on DNA tests in online forums. In this post, we'll dispel this myth, and address some reasons that could explain why Native American doesn't show …
If you got your DNA test results back and you have a first cousin match, this post will help you understand what a first cousin match really means and how this person might be related to you.
If you received your My Heritage DNA Ethnicity Estimate and saw Central American on your results, you might be wondering what this actually means. I know that I was very confused when I saw this on my husband's report, and it led me to investigate this further. As it turns out, anyone with Native American …
If you did a DNA test with Ancestry, you might be surprised to know that you can use your Ancestry DNA on other sites. In fact, this is a really great way to get maximum value for your investment, and for you to learn as much as you possibly can from your DNA. There are …
I always recommend to my readers that they do a DNA test with Ancestry and build their tree there, too. There is no better place to combine access to documents and records, public family trees, and more than six million (as of February 2018) DNA test takers. One of the coolest features of Ancestry DNA …
Did you know that you can compare your ethnicity with that of your DNA matches on Ancestry? In this post, learn how to do this in order to learn more from your DNA results. In this post, I will explain how to access the ethnicity comparison between you and any given DNA match and what …
In this post, I am going to tell you ten things to look for in your Ancestry DNA results. Once you've read through this list, you'll know what to do next.
