A common lament is the lack of DNA matches from the “old country”: If only more people tested in the country of my ancestors, I could break down the brick walls for those ancestors. Indeed, I have several matches whose trees point to relationships back in the old country, likely just one generation prior to my immigrant ancestors. If more people in that country, that region, that town did DNA testing, wouldn’t that tell all? It sounds like a plausible concept, but the reality is – it depends. Giuseppe’s son, Giovanni, with his wife, Madalana Belcastro and their son, Giuseppe....
Today, I will continue with the same data I’ve used the past two days: Analyzing a Cluster Chart and What Are the Grey Squares on a DNA Match Cluster Chart? This time, though, I am creating Superclusters. First, the “old” CLM chart I’ve been analyzing the past two days (without superclusters): Next, the same chart but “simplified” with the grandparent labels: B, C & D. Then, the “labeling chart” I’m using which shows the letters A, B, C & D stand for the 4 grandparents of the test taker. Lastly, the Superclustered chart: SETTINGS The settings I ran for this...
Both AutoClustering and the Collins Leeds Method (CLM) create DNA Match Cluster Charts. The charts have colored clusters of people who are likely descended from common ancestors. Yesterday, I talked about how I analyze the clusters. Today, I wanted to explain more about the grey squares that are outside of the colored clusters. Above is the same CLM chart I shared yesterday. Each color group is a “cluster.” Below is a chart a friend – John Motzi – made representing the same data. I had categorized each cluster as belonging in group A (dad’s dad), B (dad’s mom), C (mom’s dad),...
There are now three main methods or tools to create DNA Match Clustering charts: the Leeds Method, AutoClustering, and the Collins Leeds Method (CLM). The primary goal is to create clusters of DNA matches (or cousins) who all share a common ancestor or ancestral couple. But, do they work? Do these clusters actually point to common ancestors? Above is a DNA Match Cluster chart (this one is a CLM chart) for my dad. (I printed it out as I prefer to work with paper.) These clusters – each represented by a different color – are arranged in size from largest to smallest....
“How many grandparents did your grandparents likely know?” That’s a question my friend Jen at “The JenGenX Files” recently asked in a post called A Grand Idea. Fascinated, I decided to look at my grandparents, too. MY PATERNAL GRANDFATHER Photo of me with headstones of my grandfather’s maternal grandparents’ headstones (June 2016) Ed, my paternal grandfather, was born in 1910 in Pennsylvania. He likely knew all four of his grandparents since they also lived in Pennsylvania. All four grandparents died between 1920, when he was about 10, and 1929, when he was about 19. That sounds like a difficult time for such...
Below is one cluster from a CLM 3D (Collins’ Leeds Method) chart I created with the DNAGedcom Client at DNAGedcom. This chart is a matrix and the black diagonal is the “mirror” line so that the colors above and below the line are a mirror image. Along the top, the individuals are represented by the column letters, S to AS. Along the left side, the people are represented by the numbers 19 through 45. (The chart has the matches’ names, but I have removed the names for privacy.) BLACK CELLS Black cells indicate when a person “matches” themself. Person S is...
How many of your ancestors have you identified? Blaine Bettinger shared a spreadsheet on the Facebook group, “Genetic Genealogy Tips & Techniques” (GGT&T), where you can enter your data to get the percentage of known ancestors. (NOTE: For future comparison, I did not include women whom I had identified only by their first name.) At 7 generations, or back to my 5th great grandparents, I have identified 57% of my direct ancestors. At 6 generations, or back to my 6th great grandparents, I have identified 83% of my direct ancestors. What percentage have you identified? You can create your own...
Have you tried DNAGedcom’s new Collins’ Leeds Method 3D? It’s one of several new tools that automatically creates clusters of your DNA matches. Here’s an example of an Excel version – the version I’ve been using: The chart shows colored clusters of people who are shared DNA matches from Ancestry.com. Although these are just clues, the people in each group likely share a common ancestor. The grey cells outside of the colored clusters show additional shared matches. These squares indicate people who match more than one cluster. You can determine which clusters by looking horizontally and vertically for the intersecting...
Rob Warthen of DNAGedcom announced the Collins’ Leeds Method 3D yesterday. Once you run a chart, what’s next? Above is a 3D chart I ran sorted by cM, not inclusions. Below is a chart I’m using to label the clusters. It starts with the 4 grandparents of the test taker: Stewart (A), Merrill (B), Peters (C), and Coppenbarger (D). These are in standard order from paternal grandfather on the top to maternal grandmother on the bottom. Next, I added ahnentafel numbers. The “home person” is 1, their father is 2, their mother is 3. As you continue, each person’s dad...
BIG NEWS in the genetic genealogy world: MyHeritage is having a big event in Norway this weekend, and they made several huge announcements! 1. DNA from Famous People! MyHeritage is adding DNA to their database from famous people such as Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill! Wow! 2. DNA from envelopes! We knew something like this was in the future, but MyHeritage announced they are partnering with a company to extract DNA from envelopes that were licked by your ancestor! Wow! 3. MyHeritage announced the upcoming plans to automate DNA chromosome painting! 4. They also announced a new “DNA match Shared Locations” feature....
