Clustering Without Downloading Data Using Shared Clustering

Shared Clustering is an automated tool created by Jonathan Brecher that clusters your DNA matches. Like the Leeds Method and other automated tools, it creates clusters showing how your DNA matches are related to each other. These clusters help you visualize genetic relationships. Best of all, this is a free tool that can be used with any testing site!

Jonathan just released an update that allows you to create clustering without downloading your data. Instead, you manually enter the information into a spreadsheet. It’s more time consuming, but it works well!

Before you get started, you’ll need to download the Shared Clustering tool here. (You can also find Jonathan’s instructions for “clustering without downloading DNA” here. Also, please note that this is available for MS Windows only.)

Entering Your Data

You enter your data pretty much the same way you start a Leeds Method chart. Here are the basic steps according to Jonathan:

1. 1. Open a new file in Excel.
   2. Label the first two columns with these exact labels: “Name” and “Shared Centimorgans.”
   3. Fill in the names and the number of shared centimorgans in the first two columns.
   4. Enter the names in the same order along the top.
   5. Enter the data for “shared matches” by marking each shared match with a “X.”
   6. Save your spreadsheet as a .xlsx file.

Running Your Report

1. 1. Open the Shared Clustering application on your computer.
   2. Go to the “cluster” tab.
   3. In the “Saved data file” field, select the .xlsx file you just created. (The “Cluster output file” will automatically be filled in.)
   4. Click the appropriate “Cluster completeness” option based on the cM you used.
   5. Click on “Process Saved Data” and your new heat map will open automatically!

When I first looked at this chart, I saw two clusters – the small one on the upper left with 5 people, and the larger one on the bottom right with 15 people. And, even seeing 2 clusters is helpful! But, there are actually 4 clusters. And, the clusters overlap.

(Note: Paul, the great-nephew, is showing as a match to all of the matches on both the mom’s and dad’s side except for Britney. This makes sense! But, he just doesn’t happen to share any DNA with Britney.)

Seeing the Clusters

These heat maps actually give us more detail than other tools, but it’s a little harder to see at first. It helps to run your first report using primarily matches that you’ve already identified. This will help you learn how to “see” and identify the clusters.

In the above example, you can see the clusters actually overlap on this heat map. For example, some matches are on mom’s dad’s side, some are on mom’s mom’s side, and some are on both.

Give It a try!

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Shared Clustering also has a Facebook group you can join: “Shared Clustering User Group.”