DNA Testing

[Eric Hatfield]

DNA Testing might only lead to more confusion

But I think more often it leads to clarity. Besides adoptions with unknown parents, which can really only be solved through DNA except in exceptional circumstances, there are many cases (some say somewhere between 10% and 30% of births) where the named father (generally the husband of the mother) isn't in fact the biological father. I know of a case where it seems likely (not certain, as DNA hasn't led to an answer yet) that the named father was paid to accept paternity. Probably all of us with trees that go back more than 2 or 3 generations have false paternity "errors" in our trees but in many cases we don't know, and again, DNA or some written "confession" are the only ways to find out.

Surely this is an unnecessary argument. Both paper and DNA genealogy are important, both are necessary or very helpful in most trees. Being aware of the dangers and pitfalls of both is obviously important.

[Bobby G]

Excluding Ancestry, which has least helpful DNA tools, the others (geni, myhertiage, gedmatch, livingDNA (this year) are rapidly improving the helpfulness of the tools available to assist us with connecting to other.

For example, another update for Myheritage - https://blog.myheritage.com/2018/03/major-upgrade-to-the-myheritage-chromosome-browser-for-better-exploration-of-dna-matches/

[hurworth]

I've just been playing with the MyHeritage chromosome browser Bobby.  It's certainly an improvement on what they had, and I was thrilled when they added a chromosome browser a few weeks ago.  It almost makes up for a 2nd cousin whose DNA is incredibly useful who isn't keen on transferring from MyHeritage.

Hopefully in the future there will be a way to just select shared matches and put them straight in the chromosome browser.

I had been viewing each match on particular lines one by one and then uploading to spreadsheets.  This will involve far fewer downloads and cut and pastes.

[Eric Hatfield]

Those interested in My Heritage may be interested in the rather exciting announcements in this post on DNA Explained - down towards the bottom.

[davidft]

Those interested in My Heritage may be interested in the rather exciting announcements in this post on DNA Explained - down towards the bottom.

Thanks for posting the link. I had a read and particularly liked the DNApainter. I watched the YouTube presentation by one reviewer and it ties in with an article I once saw on the blog run by rootschatter "DevonCruwys"  https://cruwys.blogspot.co.uk/ where one person had constructed a similar painted effect the old fashioned way using spreadsheets etc. I see the cruwys blogspot also has an interview with Jonny Perl who developed the DNAPainter tool

(if I understood the youtube presentation I mentioned then DNAPainter is easier to use with results from companies like 23andme, ftDNA but more difficult to use with results from Ancestry (you have to request additional information from ancestry before you can use it)

I do not like the way these DNA Genealogy companies are creating speculative trees because although they are based on DNA results (OK) they are also including names dates and places culled from peoples trees and as we all know there are a lot of mistakes in some trees

[CarolA3]

A similar fantastic(!) idea discussed here:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=788974.0

Carol

[Bobby G]

For those that would like to try DNApainter https://dnapainter.com/about

It greatly benefits your research... just keep adding those chromosome matches.

[BushInn1746]

DNA Testing? Oh Yes - Oh No!!

So far my Niece (my Sister's Daughter) has only managed to take our tree forward!

She contacted me and said she had a Spencer match, I was quaking with absolute excitement!

I had two Spencer Marriages in the same line to a Hood, in the early to mid 18th Century (which I just can't link back to), but also Spencer on my Mother's side in the 20th Century.

I'm afraid the DNA relative was a descendant from the 20th Century Spencer, but obviously very pleased to hear from her!

My excitement evaporated when I realised I knew her late Grandfather very well (he used to come and stay with his Sister, my late Gt Aunt and they came to our house for meals). But glad to see we both have the same trees (with Certs etc.) going back 200 years, on my Mother's side.

So that is my brush with DNA!

Mark