Inheritance. What is it? How does it work? I’m not talking about possessions – but about the DNA that you receive from your parents, and their parents. The reason that genetic genealogy works is because of inheritance. You inherit DNA … Continue reading
The goal of genetic genealogy is to utilize DNA matches to verify known ancestors and identify unknown ancestors. A chromosome browser is a tool that allows testers to visualize and compare their DNA on each chromosome with that of their … Continue reading
Sooner or later in genetic genealogy, you’re going to run across the acronym, NPE or MPE. Years ago, the phrase NPE was coined to generally mean when the expected parent or parents weren’t. NPE means nonpaternal event, also sometimes nonparental … Continue reading
Members of endogamous populations intermarry for generations, creating many segments that match, especially at small centiMorgan levels. These matching segments occur because they are members of the same population – not because they are genealogically related in a recent or … Continue reading
Sometimes a single word – and its interpretation – makes a world of difference. For example, maternal versus matrilineal and paternal versus patrilineal. What’s the difference and why does it matter? In genetic genealogy, it’s very important. Y and Mitochondrial … Continue reading
Until recently, when people (often relatives) expressed concerns about DNA testing, genetic genealogy buffs would explain that the tester could remain anonymous, and that their test could be registered under another name; ours, for example. This means, of course, that … Continue reading
Lots of people are giving their siblings DNA test kits. That’s a great idea, especially if your parents aren’t available for testing, because siblings do inherit part of the same DNA from their parents, but not all of the same … Continue reading
What is a crossover anyway, and why do I, as a genetic genealogist, care? A crossover on a chromosome is where the chromosome is cut and the DNA from two different ancestors is spliced together during meiosis as the DNA … Continue reading
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
