Pedigree collapse can be responsible for you sharing more DNA than expected with another person. What is pedigree collapse? Pedigree collapse occurs when you descend from the same ancestor(s) throu…

This is the third article in a series about mitochondrial DNA. The first two articles are: Mitochondrial DNA: Part 1 – Overview Mitochondrial DNA: Part 2 – What Do Those Numbers Mean? This th…

Have you heard of auto-clustering for your autosomal DNA results? It's something you should try but is it going to help you or be anoth...

Taking a DNA test for genetic genealogy research? This glossary will help you understand terms and testing procedures.

Mark Orwig is the writer of the Genealogy Explained website, and he has created a neat graphic to explain the answer to the question posed in "Do Siblings Have the Same DNA?" I encourage all of my readers to read the entire article because the science is interesting and the "deck of cards" example is familiar to most of us. The graphic is: Pictures are always better than many words, and this graphic shows why siblings (assuming they aren't identical twins) may not have the same ethnicity estimate even though they have the same parents. In the graphic, there are four grandparents who have perceived ethnicities of: * Paternal grandfather: 50% Scottish, 50% Irish * Paternal grandmother: 100% Italian * Maternal grandfather: 100% German * Maternal grandmother: 50% Italian, 50% Irish Based on the percentages, one would expect the ethnicities of the parents to be: * Father: 50% Italian, 25% Scottish, 25% Irish * Mother: 50% German, 25% Italian, 25% Irish Based on those percentages, one would expect the ethnicity of a child to be: * 37.5% Italian, 25% German, 25% Irish, 12.5% Scottish. However, the graphic shows that the two children have significantly different ethnicity estimates (based on a DNA test) than the expected ethnicity based on the expected ethnicity of the parents. This occurs because of the random nature of admixture - how the DNA segments are passed down to the next generation. For me, I have noted that the six different ethnicity estimates I have received are completely different, and do not match my perceived ethnicity based on classical genealogy research. See Comparison of My Autosomal DNA Ethnicity Estimates. I understand better now that I need to test my two brothers and both of my daughters to get a better handle on the ethnicity estimates for my family members. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to test my parents (who died in 1983 and 2002) and grandparents (who died in 1942, 1962, 1976, 1977). Like I said - Read the entire post! Thank you to Mark for permitting me to use the graphic in this blog post. ============================================== The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2018/07/genealogy-explained-do-siblings-have.html Copyright (c) 2018, Randall J. Seaver Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at [email protected].

Explore the world of DNA haplogroups and deep ancestry. Uncover your genetic past and learn about your deep-rooted kinship connections.

One of the most common questions I receive, especially in light of the interest in ethnicity testing, is how much of an ancestor’s DNA someone “should” share. The chart above shows how much of a pa…

Are you searching for an unknown relative or trying to unravel and understand unexpected results? Maybe you discovered that one or both of your parents is not your biological parent. Maybe one of y…

Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of confusion surrounding X DNA matching and mitochondrial DNA. Some folks think they are the same thing, but they aren’t at all. It’s easy to become confused by t…

In our last article, Triangulation for Y DNA, we covered triangulation for the Y chromosome, how it works, and how it can help a genetic genealogist. In this article, we’re going to cover triangula…

Making sense of your DNA matches can be challenging. But with patience and a little knowledge, you too can find those mysterious living relatives.

Elevate your well-being with science-backed, holistic approaches to health, including personalised diet plans, health and wellness supplements.

There are steps you can take to improve the odds of getting a response from your DNA cousin matches. One of our genetic genealogists shares her top tips!

What is a haplogroup? How do I use DNA haplogroups to learn about my genetic story? Your DNA Guide is your source for answers to these and other questions.

DNA testing is a great tool for genealogy, but there are some things that you have to know before you take the test.

Ethnic map of Central and Southeast Europe, 1989-1992.

This product includes: 1. Editable Vector .AI file Compatibility: Adobe Illustrator CCIncludes Editable Text Font SuezOne (Under Free Open Font License) 2. Editable Vector .EPS-10 file Compatibility: Most Vector Editing Software 3. High-resolution JPG image 4000 x 4000 px License terms in short: Use for everything except reselling item itself. Read a full license here

Since Genetic Affairs launched in 2018, they’ve added a LOT of new functionality. I initially wrote about their clustering functionality here. Genetic Affairs AutoClustering, SuperClusters and bran…

Ancestry’s new tool, ThruLines has some good features and a lot of potential, but right now, there are a crop of ‘gators in the swimmin’ hole – just waiting for the unwary. …

At the November 2016 Family Tree DNA International Conference on Genetic Genealogy, I was invited to give a presentation about my Native American research findings utilizing the Genographic Project…

Let’s talk about the different “kinds” of DNA and how they can be used for genetic genealogy. It used to be simple. When this “industry” first started, in the year 2000, you could test two ki…

There has been a lot of discussion about ethnicity percentages within the genetic genealogy community recently, probably because of the number of people who have recently purchased DNA tests to dis…

Treat DNA testing as the science it is! This step-by-step case study will help you use the scientific method to answer genetic genealogy questions.

This is the first in a series of two articles. This article explains the Leeds Method and how I created a Leeds Spreadsheet in preparation for utilizing the results in DNAPainter. I stumbled around…

There have been a lot of questions recently about the methodology used by people searching for unknown parents and other unidentified individuals. I covered this technique in concept recently at a …

Recently, in Phys.org, they published a good overview of a couple of recently written genetic papers dealing with Native American ancestry. I particularly like this overview, because it’s written …

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There has been a lot of discussion about ethnicity percentages within the genetic genealogy community recently, probably because of the number of people who have recently purchased DNA tests to dis…

Genetic Affairs has created a new version of AutoKinship at GEDmatch. The new AutoKinship report adds new features, allows for more kits to be included in the analysis, and integrates multiple repo…

July 2020 Update: Please note that Ancestry issues a cease-and-desist order against Genetic Affairs, and this tool no longer works at Ancestry. The great news is that it still works at the other ve…

Something is wrong with the X chromosome. More specifically, something is amiss with trying to use it, the way we normally use recombinant chromosomes for genealogy. In short, there’s a problem. …

Lots of people struggle with figuring out exactly how two people are related. Most genealogy programs include a relationship feature, but what if you are working with a new genetic cousin whose lin…

Yes, free genealogy sites do exist. Here's how to avoid spending money on ancestry research without limiting your tree.

I received this information from LivingDNA today: =============================================== New DNA project aims to map Germany’s genetic history 19th April 2017 - Somerset, UK -- Living DNA initiative seeks to identify patterns of DNA within Germany and surrounding regions. An international group of researchers from the UK and Germany today launched a large-scale appeal for people with four locally-born grandparents, to contribute to a long-term DNA project that will map the genetic history of Germany. One Family - The German People / Eine Familie - Die Deutschen, is a collaborative project by European ancestry firm Living DNA and Germany’s largest genealogy society, Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (CompGen). Individuals with four grandparents all born within 80 kilometres (50 miles) of each other, are being sought to take part in the project by taking a simple DNA test. The project’s aim is to map the genetic structure of contemporary Germany and surrounding eastern regions. By focusing on people whose grandparents were all born in close proximity, the team aims to build up the most detailed and accurate regional map of Germany’s genetic history – prior to the loss of territory and mass departures from the eastern parts of Germany that occurred as a result of WW 2. One of the biggest challenges the project faces will be identifying people across all regions of interest, some of which now lie outside of contemporary Germany (Silesia, Posen, Pomerania, East and West Prussia), which have been part of Germany prior to WWI, with a special focus on the former eastern provinces (now part of Poland and Russia). To encourage suitable people to come forward, individuals who fit the criteria will be able to claim a discounted DNA test at only €89 + return postage (RRP €159), which includes lifetime membership to Living DNA. Qualifying people who have already had their DNA tested, can transfer their results to the project free of charge and receive a complimentary lifetime membership to Living DNA, which means that they will receive updates to their ancestry results as the Living DNA database grows. David Nicholson, managing director of Living DNA comments: “Within our DNA is the fact that we are all connected. At Living DNA our One Family project aims to map and connect the world’s DNA. Ultimately producing a one family tree of the world.” Mr Nicholson also adds: “It’s a great honour to work with CompGen on this project, they have a vast understanding of the complex population structures of Germany and surrounding regions and we are all excited to see the results of the project”. Dr. Tobias Kemper, genetic genealogist working for CompGen, says: “We are thrilled to be working on this project which will show how the history of middle Europe – from the Roman Empire through the middle ages and the early modern period – until now has left traces within German DNA and their regional distribution. “This project is of the utmost importance for genealogy in Germany, because it will lead to the creation of the first databank containing a large amount of German DNA samples. DNA genealogy, which has already established itself in many other countries, through the special link between historical research and natural science, will finally also be available in Germany on a large scale.” Susanne Nicola, chair of the Verein für Computergenealogie e. V. adds: “We’re very pleased the society will be able use its expertise to make a sizeable contribution to a publicly available mapping of the genetic structure of “Germany”. The DNA research team, under the leadership of Living DNA, made a name for itself in 2015 through its work on a similar landmark study entitled “The People of the British Isles”. This study, which was published in Nature magazine was the first to map the genetic history of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in high detail. Key members of CompGen under leadership of German genetic genealogist Dr. Tobias Kemper, are also closely involved in the project to ensure it is as academically robust as possible. ============================================= The URL for this post is: http://www.geneamusings.com/2017/04/new-dna-project-aims-to-map-germanys.html Copyright (c) 2017, Randall J. Seaver Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at [email protected].

Should you take an mtDNA test for genetic genealogy? Here’s a free video tutorial and 3 scenarios when mtDNA testing can help your family history.

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Scientists at Oxford University have found that modern Britain can be divided into 17 distinct genetic 'clans' (pictured) with the Welsh having the most DNA from the original settlers of the British Isles.