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
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
