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FamilyTreeDNA’s new reworked Matrix includes relationships, in other words, how your matches are related to each other. But there’s more. It also includes the number of shared segments and the number of cMs shared between your matches.
You can then push those matches through to the chromosome browser to see exactly which segments overlap between you and your matches.
This is a game-changer!!
Why Are These Features Important?
For genealogists, knowing how your matches are related to each other, or not, is a HUGE clue about your common ancestor. Clusters of people who match each other are an important road sign directing you to a specific ancestor who contributed the same DNA segment or segments to all of you.
FamilyTreeDNA just released several VERY cool updates for their Matrix comparison tool. Plus, you get to select a group of 10 people to compare.
The purpose of the Matrix tool is to select Family Finder autosomal matches who are then displayed in a grid matrix for comparison, showing if and how those matches match each other.
Specifically:
- Do your matches match each other?
- What is their estimated relationship to each other?
- How many segments of DNA do they share with each other?
- How many cMs (centiMorgans) of DNA do they share with each other?
You can then push 7 matches through to the chromosome browser to see if they match on any of the same segments.
Automated Triangulation
If you are comparing bucketed (maternal or paternal) matches, or matches known to belong to the same side of your tree, the shared segments are automatically triangulated.
How cool is this?!!!
Keep in mind, though, that you may be related to someone through multiple ancestors, and they could be from both parent’s sides, so pay attention to the ancestral segment history.
Remember, every segment has its own unique history.
Let’s step through the new Matrix features and see how they work.
Select the Matrix
Navigate to the Matrix tool under “See More” under Autosomal DNA Results and Tools.
Under “Select Matches” you can select “All Matches” to choose from all of your matches, or you can select a grouping of matches to be displayed in the menu, below.
These groupings are shortcuts for you so you don’t have to pick everyone individually. You can also search for a name.
Click on the individuals you want to compare in the Matrix. The people you’ve selected from the group, at left, will appear in the box, at right. That’s who will be compared to each other.
Next, select which type of data will be compared.
I’m selecting “Close Relatives” for this example and “Relationship range.” First, I added my mother so I could see who matches with her.
Then I added the rest of the people I want to compare. In this case, I’ve added my closest matches, even though they are from both sides of my tree.
Relationship Range
I’ve selected “Relationship range,” which will show me how my matches estimated relationships to each other.
Based on the identity of these matches, and how they match each other, I can now determine their ancestral connection.
If I didn’t know who was related maternally and paternally, this grid would remove all doubt became I’m comparing to one of my parents.
If you don’t have a parent, adding close, known relatives on one or both sides will help immensely.
Be sure to make notes about what you’ve discovered on your matches page, and paint to DNAPainter if that’s how you’re tracking your segments to ancestors.
Number of Segments Shared
Now, I’ve selected “Number of segments shared” to compare the same group of people.
You can see the number of shared segments between Mom’s matches. Donald and Cheryl are full siblings.
The display shows how these people match Mom, and each other.
Melissa is Mom’s paternal second cousin. I was able to piece this together with the help of how she matches Mom and Mom’s known paternal first cousins, Cheryl and Donald.
Total cMs Shared
Next, I’m selecting “Total cMs shared” for comparison.
Looking at the number of shared cMs, even if I didn’t know that Donald and Cheryl were full siblings, I would now.
You can also push these through to the chromosome browser. I’ll illustrate in a minute.
Bucketed or Parental Side Matching
My favorite groupings for the new Matrix are the bucketed, meaning parental or maternal “side” matching.”
When your matches are already bucketed, thanks to having linked known matches to their profile card in your tree, the system does a lot of the “side” work for you behind the scenes.
When you select “Maternal, “Paternal” or “Paternal and Maternal” matches, the people who have been bucket to either side, or those related to you on both sides, are listed in the selection box.
I’m selecting 7 of my maternal bucketed matches because I’m going to push them through to the chromosome browser for additional evaluation. I’m not including my mother because I already know these people are related to both me and her, because they are bucketed maternally.
They’re compared in the various matrix configurations.
From the Shared cM comparison table, I can easily click to display matches in the chromosome browser.
If you’re comparing more than 7 people, you’ll need to reduce it to 7. I excluded my Mom because I already know she matches all of them.
Click on the Compare Chromosome Browser at the bottom for the 7 people selected.
I know that cousin Charles descends from Mom’s paternal Lentz line, and has no other connection, so I know that these other cousins who also match me on that same segment are also from Mom’s Lentz line.
I can also tell that the shared segments on chromosome 1 are from Mom’s maternal Lore line.
Shown here are the common ancestors in Mom’s pedigree chart. They are 4 and 5 generations back in time for me.
Look how easy that was!
I love this new Matrix tool.
Triangulation
Because three or more people, including me, match on the same segments, this means they also triangulate.
In the example above, we have two distinct triangulation groups. I’m only showing chromosomes 1-3 for illustration purposes, but there are also more triangulation groups on the other chromosomes. If I add other people, new triangulation groups will form!
Of course, these are my maternal bucketed matches, so I’m safe to reach that conclusion. If my father’s matches were also loaded here, I would have to check the matrix and see if these people also matched each other before I could determine that they triangulate.
Check Your Matches and Upload
Be sure to upload any tests to FamilyTreeDNA that you manage at other vendors, and encourage your cousins to upload too.
This combination of features is unique to FamilyTreeDNA. The more relatives you have available to match, especially when you already know the common ancestor, the better. Be sure to link your matches to their placard in your tree so that FamilyTreeDNA can do the bucketing for you.
Even if you don’t link people, you can still benefit greatly from the new matrix tool by just having your DNA available for matching. The matrix will help you sort out matches and identify who is related to whom, and how.
Take a look! What are you discovering?
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Thanks, Roberta. This is a great update. Now if only we could have the bucketing displayed on the matrix page it would be even better.
It is. That’s the maternal and paternal. Or do you mean something else?
Sorry, Roberta. I was watching someone else do a demo before I read your post. I now see that you can filter by parent. That’s great!
In the original Matrix, the order of the people in the confusion matrix was the same as the order of the names when they were added to the list, which they are not now. Also, the user had the ability to reorder the people so that the various clusters of people were more apparent and not dispersed around the matrix. Also, I did not seem to be able to return to the list and add new ppl and was not able to add myself to the matrix since the tester was not in the list of people from which to select. Finally, the matrix admins can generate can go up to 20 or more people instead of 10. It would seem to be best to have one software routine for building the matrix independent of whether it was the tester or admin that was building the matrix. Maybe I missed some of there capabilities on my first quick look at the new tool. Kudos for allowing cMs, relationships, etc. instead of just check marks. That is a big improvement.
Hi, I was pleased to see you say to be sure to link the match to that person in your FTDNA/MyH tree. But I also see you say “Your tree on MyHeritage will not have any indication that an individual on the tree is a match at FamilyTreeDNA and linked” which seems really sad. Is there any plan to show *something*, even a little link symbol? It seems clunky to see it only on the FTDNA side, and not in the actual tree.
I don’t know and I agree, it would be very helpful.
Roberta, what do you mean when you write:
“Automated Triangulation
If you are comparing bucketed (maternal or paternal) matches, or matches known to belong to the same side of your tree, the shared segments are automatically triangulated.”?
I think you wanted to write that they are automatically assigned to a paternal side.
It’s very easy for people to misunderstand what DNA Segment Triangulation does and “claim” then that they have read in your article that FTDNA does the same.
If they are automatically assigned to a paternal side, and they match each other and you on the same segment, they are triangulated. That’s what selecting one side or the other can do for you.
My Chromosome button doesn’t work on any arrangement
Is it still grey?
No, I will report it to customer service. Dose anyone else have this problem?
Not that I’ve heard.
No Its bright orange. I also tried the regular chromosome browser tool. It doesn’t work ether.
Hmmm. Strange. I’m presuming you’ve tried different browsers? I have not heard of this before. If a different browser and a reboot don’t work, call support.
You were exactly right. Apple Safari did not work, Chrome works.
That’s useful to know. Thank you.
This definitely helped me spot some relationships amongst the masses of tests that I didn’t before – particularly mother/daughter I didn’t spot because of the change in last names.
Having used the matrix a lot in the past, I think this has a smaller learning curve and the options to change the display between relationships, shared cMs, and total cMs is SUPER helpful.
Adding the parental groupings onto that and connecting it to the chromosome browser? Game changer.
I am so excited to get to know the nuances of the new matrix and look forward to doing a ton of experimenting with it.