If I were to present at RootsTech 2026, either in person or virtually, what topics would interest you the most? Is there something DNA-related you’d like to learn more about, or have been struggling with?
I have some thoughts, but would like your input.
RootsTech has been and remains important to me. It’s a wonderful way to reach many people, plus see my colleagues, cousins, and family of heart. I love meeting and interacting with new people, too. All of that said, travel is becoming more challenging and increasingly expensive, making it difficult to plan for 8 or 9 months in advance.
So, I’m trying to make a submission decision, and since the sessions are for you, I’m asking you what you’d like to see.
Please list your DNA-focused suggestions in the comments in order of priority for you.
Thanks everyone!
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I would like a session on Dutch research in the Hudson Valley, New York in the early 1800’s
That would be for Yvette Hoitink!!!
I would like all presentations to be put on the internet – either live or recorded for later
It is difficult for me to find content (presentations) on their website. Maybe just me?
No, it’s not just you. The majority of the in-person sessions aren’t recorded, but some are. All of the webinars are available online. If you go to their link (below) and click on “Watch videos” in the very top banner at right, you can search or view the various videos in a number of ways. You can also see them on YouTube through that link as well. https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/
By the way, I loved your Father’s Day story! Roots Tech suggestion: How to work with endogamy.
DNA and other solutions for endogamy and pedigree collapse.
Breaking through Brick walls in New Jersey. My longest standing brick wall is 3rd ggp John MERRITT and his wife Maragaret GEARY both Natives of NJ. I have some guesses based on those of the same name who arrive early on in Genesee later Wyoming Co., NY. But nothing conclusive, yet. 50 years and counting… John MERRITT b. 26 Jul 1797 Monmouth d.23 Feb 1867 Genesee, NY. Margaret GEARY b. 30 Mar 1795 near Trenton? NJ. First 3 children born in NJ. Marriage about 1815-1816 NJ. This is also my mtDNA Line. No exact matches !!
Clustering – especially at Ancestry (if it gets released this year)
That made me chuckle.
What new analysis tools are being developed for DNA test results (e.g. FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage). And perhaps the most advanced tools currently available could also be introduced so that everyone can take full advantage of them.
I think your knowledge of mitochondrial DNA as a research tool is always helpful. Most newbies have no idea what it is or how it can be used in their research. Y DNA also is helpful. Lots of classes on autosomal exist. Not so much for Mito & Y.
How to find the area European emigrants are from and other information about them in the homeland online.
When to hire a genealogist, and how to find a good one.
Me too.
Loved your recent webinar on the Mito Tree. I’m assuming there will be some updates and new info and perhaps some wonderful success stories to share by next year. I would like more on the Mito Tree. And just about anything with success stories (important for inspiration) and how it was done (important for showing others how to proceed).
How to join or create a special DNA project at FTDNA either surname / location / or ethnicity / Other?
1.). Guidelines, value to specific research goals & any success stories.
2.) Best practices (i.e. maintaining purpose, answering questions from membership or guests, responsibilites of Admin & Co-Admin.
If this subject is low on your list perhaps someone from FTDNA could do a talk on it at RT?
Roberta, Thanks for asking. 1) How to use the Big Y and MTDNA time trees in your genealogical research (separate talks). 2) More detail about the Big Y 700 (than is in your book), if there is any.
I’d like to learn more about the original English settlers of Jamestown. What information is there on the ordinary folk, especially any DNA, for those who settled, not just the great and good. The paper records seem very confused.
Yea I have an ancestor there and it is confusing.
Roberta you’ll love this. I wrote above about my 3rd great grandparents Brick Wall. I was writing a blog post for a class I am teaching about resources at Family Search. I decided to use their lab tool for Full Text searching. Put in John Merritt and got a hit in New Jersey with wife Margaret. First relevant hit for the couple in 50 years of searching!!!
I do love that, and their Text Search tool!
SERENDIPITY!
1) Using Ancestry’s “Pro Tools” to help group DNA matches and search for matches with common migration stories and/or routes. I have both large and small groups of matches along different lines and so far it’s not incredibly useful… but maybe there’s more that I’m not using?
2) “Putting it all together” — aka how can “the rest of us” who don’t have an incredible TEAM working for us (Finding Your Roots) make the breadcrumbs tell the story for our family members — who appreciate stories more than dry records?
Regarding #2, do you mean like my 52 Ancestors stories, or something different?
Hi, similar but more suited to those of us without professional training and experience. My family is always stunned at what a full team of researcher can find about “average people” — but we tend to overlook the fact that the program does not fully explain how many people they investigated but (perhaps) whose stories turned out to be “less than remarkable.” I think this is related to the many brick walls that so many of us break our heads against!
Ways to sync trees across Ancestry and MyHeritage!!!!!
Please talk on Big Y-700, not the basic part–skip over that really fast and get down to what all those Haplogroup numbers mean and how to connect them to time periods–if that is possible.
I’m so glad you asked. I have wanted to ask you a question about mtDNA, for a long time. I listened to your million mito presentation last week and was most pleased with you and the content presented. My mother has a full sequence mtDNA profile on FTDNA. Am I correct in understanding that it is not necessary for me to test (I’m female)? But wait, that’s not really my question/suggestion for a presentation..
When Sorenson first came to a genealogical conference and asked for women who knew their female lines back 8 generations, I could not respond. Now I can, but the “proof or evidence” is weak for the last 2 generations. Is there a way mtDNA could help verify my paper trail? Could we build a community similar to the Y-DNA surname project? Learning geographic locations where the branches separated or broke would help.
7th Gen =1792, North Carolina – 1849, Illinois
8th Gen = 1774, New Jersey ? – 1850, North Carolina
Short Topic Ideas:
1. Why certain DNA Tools work for X – Just like a Timeline works to see your research gaps [DNAP – matrix Tool- which siblings are better matches on certain family lines…]
2. Why Cluster or group DNA Matches?
3. When DNA Segments aren’t available – how do your Solve your DNA Match Puzzle?
4. DNA Match Data Organization – how to keep it all “straight”
5. Checklist for analyzing a DNA matches
6. Where do you “put” your DNA analysis?
7. Do you have to add DNA matches to your tree?
Referring to your suggestions, I have some questions:
1 – When you say “X”, do you mean the X chromosome or something more generic?
3 – You mean like at Ancestry?
These are great questions – some of which I’d like to have answers to too:)
I would like to know more about the use of ancient DNA tools now available at FT-DNA. What to make of the results? My matrilinear ancestor is from France, but all the ancient matches on mtDNA are in Scandinavia. Does that mean that she was probably the descendant of a Viking? There is of course a good 500-600 year gap.
Two suggestions:
#1 “Making connections with Autosomal chromosome”- So you have known cousins and siblings, and you have multiple chromosome connections, but many “unknown” connections share those chromosomes. Can you find the “Delaney” chromosome- the one family you all share, and of course those grandparents etc? Or “Separating surnames in chromosome matches”
#2- If your mitochondrial match is 100%, can you date or assume a connection timeframe based on that match OR based on amount of chromosome autosomal DNA you share? So I have 5 maternal 100% mitochondrial matches. Four are unknown as too genealogy. Two show a possible Colonial 5+generation potential match. Can our matching create absolute facts and data useful in maing the genealogical match?
Thanks for all you do Roberta.
Have you already used DNA painter? This is how I have identified Ch segments by couple. Maybe a dna painter session would be helpful.
Each year I hope for advances in the chips used by the different companies, if they are different and if they have advantages in genealogy or health. I haven’t seen an update lately. And for whole genome, if technology has changed for long reads, technology, areas that may cause genes to be expressed or not
I would like to see a step by step use OF YDNA, XDNA and MTDNA.
Searching for German ancestors ehen one has few details is hard. FamilySearch full-text search will not be helpful at this time so any classes with this subject would appreciated.
Also a dumbed-down very basic DNA presentation. After 10 minutes on most of those currently available loose me within the first 10 minutes. – eyes glaze over and drowning sensation. 🥴
I have learned so very much about DNA from you and thank you. I’ve found a couple unknown fathers through DNA but not getting anywhere with the MtDna. I would like to know more about using MtDNA to sort out a family when the printed genealogies have all been wrong for years.
After seeing all the new tools for mtDNA in particular the cluster tool. I’d like to suggest a presentation on the X CHROMOSOME and best use. A suggestion I’d love to see a cluster tool for the X data.
I know this is unrealistic but it would be wonderful if someone could provide a presentation that would explain how much progress would be made on figuring out the entire family tree if everyone- or at least a sufficient proportion of everyone – would take the Big Y, the best mitochondrial DNA test, and post autosomal results on Gedmatch or similar. Never mind target testing or putting your DNA out there and hoping that some big Y tester will match some day, instead you have the big Y DNA of everyone and can sort through your big y DNA match list. Would you at least identify common ancestors whose names are lost to time in say Ireland where records were burned? (Call them “xyz1234 born approximately 1500). Would more people be able to break through to medieval genealogy? Would we finally have real clues to descent from antiquity? Just looking for a’blue sky’ look at the potential of all DNA working together in a world where every possible DNA test was taken by everyone. Let’s even include ancient DNA. Thank you
What about DNA on a budget. Some of us are gifted a test. Prior to a few years ago we could still use tools at certain testing sites. Now we get can only see a few of the shared matches. What tools are out there for those on a tight budget?
Tips for working with 1% ethnicity results. Is it worth digging into? How to unravel a trail?
Tips for working with trace ethnicity amounts (like 1% Africa or Sardinia). Can it be useful? How to figure it out?
The late Richard Feynman, Nobel physicist once introduced the basic topics of Physics with the title “Six Easy Pieces”. So, with that in mind, how about presenting six example cases where DNA has broken down brick walls for genealogists (Six not so easy pieces). Perhaps use examples from several countries, not just the US.
After all, most people test their DNA as they are seeking information; many because they are adopted.
For example, last year a new DNA match, Jane, appeared on my list. She had been adopted at six weeks old and only knew the name of her mother. After some joint research and persuading others to test, she discovered that her mother was Scottish and her father a Greek Cypriot. She then met her maternal half siblings and a paternal half brother. She is now delighted that she has found her family.
Real life examples of using DNA to solve genealogical puzzles please.
1. Something I would really like more information about is tracing my brother’s Y-DNA from FTDna (Big Y) back in an attempt to locate our great grandfather – who I am just assuming was from Sweden. My grandfather was listed as illegitimate on the Swedish Birth information I have and I’ve been searching so long and doing what I can to go further. I’ve sent a couple of emails to my closest (I think) relative but haven’t heard back from him. I wonder if I really have the ancestor I need to work on this. My grandfather’s mother gave him a surname that matched her own father at the time.
2. I also have a brick wall with my 3x great-grandmother (maternal side) who had 13 children and I haven’t had any luck at all finding any kind of husband or partner for her – anywhere! Tennessee location all of her life. I’ve tried tracing back through her children but no luck there, either. I have the name of my 4x great-grandmother (her mom). I can’t figure our if my 3x GGM married someone with her maiden name or if she just never married???
Reviewing basic information for new testers many of these have been confused by old online postings that should be either upgraded or removed.
I am needing help determining who a father is for my 7th paternal great grandfather. He is listed with the surname of his mothers husband, but he died many years before the birth of the son, my greatx7 grandfather. I have been to england to look for records in the archives, as well as the cemetery where the family is all buried. I have done my DNA through Ancestry and so has my father, but I am not sure how to go back that far and if it is even possible to find the true identity of the father.
Unfortunately, you’re too far back for autosomal to be helpful. Perhaps the only way is to find another male descended from his through anothre son, and test both lines to see if they match.