Until recently, the word imputation wasn’t a part of the vocabulary of genetic genealogy, but earlier this year, it became a factor and will become even more important in coming months. Illumina, the company that provides chips to companies that test … Continue reading
What are mirror trees, and why would I ever want to use one? Great question. You’ll hear genealogists, especially adoptees or persons trying to find a missing parent mention using mirror trees. Mirror trees are a technique that genealogists use … Continue reading
If the first thing you thought when you read the title of this article was, “Well duh – test your father,” you would be right…unless your father is deceased. Then, it’s not nearly as straightforward, because you have to find … Continue reading
One of the questions often asked is why triangulation in genetic genealogy is so important. Before I answer that, let’s take a look at why genealogists use autosomal DNA for genetic genealogy in the first place. Why Genetic Genealogy? Aside from … Continue reading
A very common question is, “How much DNA of an ancestor do I carry and how does that affect my ethnicity results?” This question is particularly relevant for people who are seeking evidence of a particular ethnicity of an ancestor … Continue reading
Have you ever had something you need to refer back to and can’t find it? I do this more often than I care to admit. About a year ago, I did a study when I was writing the “Concepts – Parental Phasing” … Continue reading
I often receive questions about who to test to obtain (discover) the Y or mitochondrial DNA of a particular ancestor in one’s tree. The question often arises when people are attempting to find either Y or mitochondrial DNA to confirm that … Continue reading
Recently, while checking Facebook, I saw this posting from my friend who researches in the same Native admixed group of families in North Carolina and Virginia that I do. Researchers have been trying for years to sort through these interrelated … Continue reading
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! One of the questions I often receive about autosomal DNA is, “What, EXACTLY, is a match?” The answer at first glance seems evident, meaning when you and someone else are shown on each other’s … Continue reading
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 discover “who they are.” Testers want to know specifically if ethnicity percentages are right … Continue reading
