Auto Clustering at MyHeritage

[Ruskie]

This sounds interesting. Now, the question is, will I be able to work out how to use it and will I understand the results? 

[davidft]

One day in and I have decided after playing around with the new auto clustering that I like it and it does have potential. OK yes I know it has more holes than a string vest but that is also true of Ancestry’s Trulines if what people have said about it in the other thread are anything to go by. I think what we all need to do is take a step back, accept it is new and hope that with time it will improve.

What I like about it
It gives you three  reports, a PDF narrative, a HMTL document of the clusters and an excel document of the clusters. In my opinion the PDF narrative should be read first as this gives a quick summary telling you the minimum thresholds for inclusion in the reports, how many of your matches ended up in how many clusters e.g. 87 matches in 24 clusters. It then goes on to say how many of your matches have been excluded because they did not have any shared matches (i.e. I think that means you can not triangulate), and then finally it tells you how many matches ended up in clusters of one (201 in one case), not sure what this means other than they require more people to test to make these matches meaningful.

Whilst the clusters are displayed in colourful boxes do not ignore the little grey boxes they have a meaning as explained in the PDF and may help with particularly close matches.

The HTML document is where you get the colourful diagram (as shown in the opening post). This is not just a pretty picture! You can read it, and it does help explain where your matches match each other in a quick handy visual aid. This is then followed by a list of each clusters information telling you who is in what cluster, assign their tree a number so you can link to it, as well as showing who does not have a tree. It gives data on the match e.g. size, number of segments etc. Then in the final column “notes” it lists what you have done e.g. emailed the member, confirmed a match etc

The Excel document presents the information from the HTML document in excel format.

Making it work
I know some people have been disappointed how few clusters they have and that the theories of relativity are sometimes highly imaginative. First to say the system will only work if people put effort into it and to that extent the fuller your tree the more likely you are to click onto someone else’s tree. That is why it is a good idea to do your tree horizontally including siblings, cousins etc and not just vertically i.e. just direct ancestors. (That said the tree I Have on MyHeritage is just direct ancestors    )

It also helps if you have a near relative tested as this helps in forming the triangulated matches. I have both mine and my father’s data on there and this has helped make and confirm matches for me.

Then of course it requires lots of other people to test and be interested in following through with the project and the lack of this is what is hitting many people hard.

[Gadget]

I have 29 clusters comprised of between 6 and 3 matches.  Many of my matches are   low (with only 12 above 50cM ), although over 300 above 20cM.  The problem is that few of them have decent trees.
These matches are all from lines that I've thoroughly researched so, as yet, they haven't added very much to my knowledge of my ancestors.

I'm having problems with Thrulines and am awaiting a reply.

[Janethepain]

Bit confused by the exclusions.
 
My 3rd & 4th top matches, at 1 match of 62 cM for both, would appear to be a couple, either 2 sisters or a mother and daughter, as though they have different surnames their dna match to me is virtually identical, and of course they match each other too, ie it is the same dna segment that they share with me.  In addition, one of the accounts is managed by the other. 

Yet they are listed among the 118  excluded from the analysis because they are 'singleton clusters'.
Perhaps by definition, a singleton cluster is actually 2 people ( ie you can't be a cluster of 1).

Annoying, as they are the only matches in my top 6, that I don't really have any clues about!

My clusters are mainly made up of matches with very little dna correlation, to me, and I suspect, the progeny of ancestors who emigrated to the USA & Canada, or indeed Australia & New Zealand.

From experience, very nice people that they may be, but, like me they know little or nothing about  where (in Ireland), their ancestors came from to Scotland, before emigrating further afield!!

The others in my top 6 are all from roughly the same branch of my family tree, with strong roots in the area that I live in, though only one of which I knew about before 'doing' my DNA!

And of course most of those in clusters have minimal family trees, mainly made up of 'Private'!

However, perhaps it i process the details methodically ( hard for me!), I may find useful pointers - I live in hope.

Jane

[davidft]

I have 29 clusters comprised of between 6 and 3 matches.  Many of my matches are   low (with only 12 above 50cM ), although over 300 above 20cM.  The problem is that few of them have decent trees.
These matches are all from lines that I've thoroughly researched so, as yet, they haven't added very much to my knowledge of my ancestors.

I'm having problems with Thrulines and am awaiting a reply.

Just to add I am probably coming at this from a different standpoint from many in that I am not looking at it to extend my tree. I am using it to ascertain which parts of which chromosomes I get from which ancestors.

[Gadget]

Just to add I am probably coming at this from a different standpoint from many in that I am not looking at it to extend my tree. I am using it to ascertain which parts of which chromosomes I get from which ancestors.

But, with a bit of work on the Chromosome browser, you can work it out yourself - and it's much more satisfying. A cousin and I spent a fun weekend a while ago doing just that! 

[Gadget]

David - an honest question -

Why do you want to know which particular segments of particular chromosomes you have inherited  from particular ancestors?  Is it curiosity, physical attributes, health, or ?

Gadget

[Mart 'n' Al]

 is this a subscription only service? I can't access it even though MyHeritage performed my test.

Martin

[davidft]

David - an honest question -

Why do you want to know which particular segments of particular chromosomes you have inherited  from particular ancestors?  Is it curiosity, physical attributes, health, or ?

Gadget

Ah a question I can answer! Yes its purely curiosity and makes a nice change from searching through parish registers, at least for me.