MyHeritage AutoClusters: Update

Earlier this week, MyHeritage raised the upper threshold for AutoClusters to 400 cM. Excitingly, this allows us to see some of our closer matches in our clusters! (By the way, this is the number I recommend when starting the Leeds Method.)

What Are AutoClusters?

According to MyHeritage, AutoClusters is an “automatic tool that organizes your DNA matches into clusters that likely descend from common ancestors.” This tool, which was developed in collaboration with Evert-Jan Blom, is based on the Leeds Method. The chart creates clusters for approximately 100 of your DNA matches, though it does not use your closest matches.

Below is a chart showing my dad’s MyHeritage AutoCluster chart. The names are blocked out for privacy.

Cluster Arrangement

These clusters are arranged in size from largest to smallest. For example, the two largest clusters in the upper left have 12 members each. The lowest clusters each have 3 members.

You are more likely to either know how you’re related to the matches you share more DNA with or to be able to figure out those relationships. However, your highest matches might be in some of the smaller clusters. For example, in this chart my father’s highest matches are as follows:

• • 381 cM – cluster #11 with 4 people
  • 375 cM – cluster #4 with 8 people
  • 344 cM – cluster #11 with 4 people
  • 308 cM – cluster #2 with

Working with Clusters

I would suggest working with clusters that have some of your higher matches first. For example, let’s take a quick look at cluster #11 which includes two people who share more than 300 cM of DNA with my dad.

If you scroll down from the chart you received, you will get information about the individual clusters. Below is the information about cluster #11:

Diagramming the Cluster Part I

I already know how three of the people fit into our tree. They, along with my dad, are all descendants of Andrew Stewart and Bessie Merrill. I’ll start by diagramming them.

Identifying Doni

However the fourth match, Doni, is someone I don’t recognize. Because of my diagram, I can hypothesize that she is related to my dad through the Stewart or Merrill family.

She has a tree with 59 people in it, but I don’t see either of those surnames or any others I recognize.

Although I don’t recognize anyone on this tree, Doni does have a “hole” in her tree with her grandmother, Annie. So, I went to Ancestry to see if I could find a public tree showing her father’s ancestors. Since I had a full name and dates of birth and death for her father, I searched the public member trees using that information. I quickly found a tree. And, it happened to be Doni’s tree!

Doni’s more complete tree on Ancestry.com shows that her grandmother, Annie’s, maiden name was Merrill! And, I know that Annie’s grandfather was the brother of my 3rd great grandfather, James Merrill. So, now I can add Doni to the diagram for cluster #11.

Diagramming the Cluster Part II

Below is the complete diagram of the 4 people in cluster 11. As you can see, everyone is a descendant of James Merrill. They clustered together because of the DNA they inherited from him and/or his wife, Nancy Waldron!

Clustering is a powerful tool that can help us more easily identify our matches. In this case, Doni was an unknown match who clustered with 3 other people in cluster #11. Because of her Shared DNA Matches on MyHeritage, I knew she should be related to my dad through either the Stewart or Merrill family. And, with a little bit of research, I was able to connect her to our tree!