Autosomal DNA Tests

What are 4th cousin matches on Ancestry DNA? If you did Ancestry DNA, and want to make sense of you DNA match list, read this post to learn more!

Did you find the Ireland/Scotland/Wales DNA ethnicity region in your Ancestry DNA results?  You might have known that you had distant Irish roots, or recent Scottish ancestry.  Or maybe you are completely shocked to find the Ireland/Scotland/Wales ethnicity in your ethnicity estimate.  In order to truly understand this ethnicity, and how it ended up in …

If you are anything like me, you like to research something before you commit to doing it, and so I definitely understand why you want to learn as much about Ancestry DNA before you decide to take the test.  While the questions my readers tend to ask me range from concerns about privacy to how …

If you have Mexican ancestry and took a DNA test, were you surprised to see Irish on your results?  In this post, learn how common this is, and how you may have inherited DNA from this region of the world. There is a lot of misinformation out there about the "typical" genetic makeup of the …

If you did a DNA test expecting to find more Irish, or at least some Irish, represented in your ethnicity results, you are not alone.  Many people are surprised to find Irish, and others are surprised not to find Irish in their DNA.  With St. Patrick's Day always around the corner, you might be asking …

Some with primarily European ancestry are often surprised to find North African DNA in their ethnicity results.  In this post, learn a little bit about how you might have inherited DNA from Northern Africa even though you have no known recent ancestors from the area. Plus, find out why it's not remnants of "ancient DNA", …

Confused about cousins? Learn about shared DNA between half-cousin relationships, focusing on half-first, half-second and half-third cousins.

If you have Europe South in your Ancestry DNA ethnicity results, you might be interested in learning more about the region.  As it turns out, to really get a good understand of the full meaning of our ethnicity results, we have to do a little exploration of geography and history.  It's worth the effort, however, …

Today, I was thrilled to read an e-mail from a reader who was contemplating taking a DNA test.  I always love to hear from you guys, and of course, I love to talk about DNA testing.  When I was responding to the e-mail, I started thinking about all of the amazing things that I have …

Did you know that siblings will usually show different percentages matching the regions on their ethnicity estimates? In fact, they can even have regions on their results that their siblings don't have. Does this mean that the results aren't accurate? Or could it mean that they are not full siblings? It's normal for siblings to …

In this easy to understand article, learn what centimorgans are, the definition of a DNA segment,how to estimate your relationship with your DNA match

If you just got your results back from your Family Tree DNA Family Finder test, you might be wondering how to understand your FTDNA ethnicity results.  Ethnicity estimates are often the cause of skepticism and confusion, and if this is how you are feeling, know that you are not alone.  In this post, I will …

Are you interested doing the Family Finder test with Family Tree DNA?  In this post, I will show you an example of Family Tree DNA Family Finder results.  I'll walk you through the different aspects of the results and explain what type of information you can expect to learn. Doing the Family Finder test with …

One of the most exciting aspects of DNA testing is the extensive list of DNA matches that show up on your match list.  If you scroll through your DNA matches, however, you will quickly realize that many times it is not immediately obvious how your DNA match is related to you.  In this post, you …

The myFamilyTree tool on Family Tree DNA is a relatively new tool that helps you combine your DNA results with your family tree research.  In this post, you will learn how to use the myFamilyTree tool, and tips for how to build your family tree on Family Tree DNA. There are some very nice benefits …

Do you want to get in touch with your DNA matches? Here, find a template for contacting DNA matches that can be used for several different situations.

If you are wondering how the Turkey and the Caucasus DNA ethnicity showed up on your Ancestry DNA results, you are not alone.  In order to explain this DNA region on Ancestry - to really understand - we have to learn a bit about geography, history, and genetics.  Turkey and the Caucasus is a fascinating …

In this post, you will learn how to find shared matches on Ancestry DNA, what a shared match is, what it means when you share a match with someone, and how to use the information to get the most from your DNA results. The "Shared Matches" feature is one of the most helpful features available …

A common question about ethnicity estimates is whether a child can have more of an ethnicity than a parent does. Find out how this can happen in this post!

If you are exploring your ethnicity results on Ancestry DNA, you might wonder what those little numbers are next to all of the ethnicities on their list.  In this post, I'll explain to you what those numbers mean, and how to know which ones apply to you and your ethnicities. Which numbers am I talking …

If you just got your ethnicity results back from Ancestry DNA, you might be curious to learn more about the European Jewish DNA ethnicity.  Even though it's fairly common for this to show up when someone has European ancestry, you might want to learn more.  In this post, I will explain what the European Jewish …

Are you curious about the number of DNA matches that you have, and why it doesn't exactly match the number that your parents have? If both of your parents have also tested their DNA, you might wonder why you don't match all of the people that they do.  You might even have DNA matches that …

Ethnicity estimates, DNA matches, and chromosome browsers? I'll explain the different aspects of My Heritage DNA results and help you learn the most!

In this post, I'll explain the different ways to find out if you are Irish - just in time for St. Patty's Day this year.  You just might be wearing your "Kiss me, I'm Irish" t-shirt with confidence... who knew? Are you interested in finding out if you have Irish roots?  You aren't the first …

Do you want to know if your Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jewish heritage will show up on a DNA test? Find out which DNA test is best for Jewish ancestry.

While Ancestry DNA continues to be my favorite place to test DNA and build a tree, there have been some exciting things going on at My Heritage DNA.  I have uploaded all of the kits that I manage, with the test taker's permission, of course, to My Heritage DNA, and I have begun to recommend …

Did you find Europe West in your Ancestry DNA results?  Many people were hoping for something a little more specific - isn't Western Europe made up of many different countries, each with their specific language and culture?  You aren't the only person to wonder what the Europe West DNA ethnicity really means. In this post, …

In this post, you will learn whether MyHeritage DNA matches are legitimate, and the basic ways that you can determine how your match might be related to you.

Is your MyHeritage DNA Ethnicity Estimate different than the one you got from Ancestry DNA or another testing site?   You aren't alone in spotting major differences in your ethnicity estimate. 

Did you get your DNA results back from Family Tree DNA?  Do you want to know how to read your FTDNA Family Finder results to get the most information?  This post will show you all that you need to know to make the most of your DNA testing experience with Family Tree DNA (FTDNA).   Whether …

Is it possible to get an ethnicity estimate for free? In this post, learn a few ways to find out your ethnicity for free - with and without using DNA.

Learn why siblings don't have the same DNA, how much DNA siblings share, and what you can learn from your siblings results. Easy-to-understand explanations!

If you are Mexican, or have Mexican roots, you might be wondering what Mexican Ancestry DNA results look like?  Or if you already got your results back, maybe you want to compare yours to some other people from Mexico to get an idea whether yours fit in.  What you will learn in this post is …

Have you ever heard someone say that doing their DNA test changed them?  I used to think that that was a bit silly, since I felt like much the same person that I was when I first got started with genetic genealogy several years ago.  But then I realized that I check my DNA matches …

Does your child have DNA matches that you don't?  There are four main reasons why this happens, and in this post, you'll learn about them. The first thing that you should know is that it is normal for your children to have DNA some matches that are not on your list, and it doesn't mean …

Did you get Scandinavia DNA ethnicity in your results? Learn how you inherited Scandinavian DNA, which countries your ancestors came from, and more!

In this post, you will learn what is a 3/4 sibling, how much DNA 3/4 siblings typically share, and how to know if you have a three quarter sibling.

Are you looking at your DNA match list and trying to figure out if one of your matches could be a first cousin to you?  Did your first cousin do a DNA test, and now you want to know if you share the right amount of DNA based on your relationship?  In this post you …

Do you want to know how to download your DNA file from Ancestry? It's easy to do, and in this post, you'll find the steps for how to do it.

If you got your Ancestry DNA results back, and they show you something that you weren't expecting to see, you might have some lots of questions about the test. For example, you might want to know : Is it possible that my Ancestry DNA results are wrong? How accurate is the Ancestry DNA test? How …

For many of us, the holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on our lives, families, histories, and traditions.  If you didn't grow up Jewish, but you know that you have Jewish ancestry, or you think you might, you might be interested in exploring your family history and learning more about your Jewish roots. …

Have a Close Family match on Ancestry DNA? How are they related to you? Could it be a mistake? Read here for answers to these questions and more!