Genetic Genealogy

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 are brand-new to genetic genealogy, this post is for you.  I'll explain the basics of genetic genealogy so you can easily learn how to use your DNA results to build your family tree and discover genetic relatives. You will learn: Exactly what autosomal DNA is The meaning of a centimorgan The definition of …

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 …

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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 …

While it is true that there are many things that mtDNA can't tell us about our family history, it is a nice tool to add to the genealogy toolbox.  In this post, we'll explore what you can learn from mtDNA. One of my main research projects in my mother's family is tracing back her mother's …

If you have ever uploaded a Gedcom to Gedmatch, or are considering doing so, you might be wondering if there is an easy way to mark your living relatives as private from within Gedmatch.  As it turns out, there is not currently a way to do so once you have uploaded your Gedcom to the …

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.

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, …

Are you ready to learn how to upload your family tree to Gedmatch? Uploading your family tree to Gedmatch can help you and others learn more from the site!

Why should you upload your family tree to Gedmatch? In this post, find the benefits of putting your tree on Gedmatch, both for you and the other people who use the site.

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 …