Tag Archives: Mitochondrial DNA

New Mitotree Haplogroups and How to Utilize Them for Genealogy

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Have you received a new Mitotree haplogroup? Or maybe you didn’t? Are you wondering why you might not have received a new haplogroup? How do the new haplogroups work anyway? And how do you work with them?

Great questions!

Approximately 75% of full sequence testers received a new haplogroup with the Mitotree Beta release, which means that about 25% did not. Keep in mind that new sequences are being added to the database, so the tree will be sprouting new haplogroups with each subsequent release.

Check For Your New Haplogroup

Click on any image to enlarge

Sign in to your account at FamilyTreeDNA and look at the Badges in the bottom right corner of your page.

Your Beta haplogroup is your new Mitotree haplogroup, and your Legacy haplogroup is your old one – prior to Mitotree. They may be the same. My haplogroup, shown above, did not change.

This is a good place to note that the tree is not “done,” yet, nor will it ever be. New samples are added daily as more people test and as academic samples from published papers are added to the database as well. Additionally, FamilyTreeDNA is tweaking the algorithm, so the tree branching structure may change from time to time.

When your haplogroup changes, you’ll receive a notification email.

Some people’s haplogroup will remain the same. There can be several reasons why you might not have received a new haplogroup.

Before we discuss that, I’d like to stress that your haplogroup remaining the same isn’t exactly a bad thing because there is SO MUCH new content for everyone. It’s like receiving a whole new book about your mother’s direct matrilineal line.

mtDNA Discover Offers 13 New Reports for Everyone

MtDNA Discover was released with the new Mitotree, and it includes a dozen new reports for EVERY haplogroup.

Discover is available publicly, and also through your FamilyTreeDNA dashboard which provides a customized experience for mtFull testers with additional information that is not available in the free version.

Think of these Discover reports as chapters in your personal book – all about you and your matrilineal ancestors.

The Discover reports are provided in addition to the tools in the mtDNA Results and Tools section of your dashboard on FamilyTreeDNA.

There’s something for everyone, even if you don’t have a new haplogroup. There’s certainly new information that will help with your genealogy and with understanding the history and ancestral journey of your mother’s direct line maternal ancestors.

Three Reasons Why You Might Not Receive a New Haplogroup

Ok, so why might you not have received a new haplogroup?

The first reason that you might not have received a new haplogroup assignment is the simplest. The new tree is only updated periodically.

After your results are returned, and before the next Mitotree version is available, your Mitotree haplogroup Badge will show as “Analyzing.”

If one of your matches is waiting for a new haplogroup, their Mitotree Haplogroup will show as “Pending Analysis.”

There is no published tree-update schedule, but you’ll receive your new haplogroup soon.

However, you can probably determine your new haplogroup quite easily. If you have any exact matches on your mtDNA Match page, their haplogroup will be your haplogroup as well, so check your full sequence mtDNA Matches on your dashboard for a hint.

For, example, here’s one of my exact matches with their haplogroup.

The second reason you might not have a new haplogroup assignment is that you may not have taken the full sequence mitochondrial DNA test – mtFull.

Only testers with full sequence test results can receive an updated haplogroup, because the full mitochondria needs to be tested. The older HVR1/HVR2 Plus tests only tested a fraction of the full sequence – around 1000 locations of the 16,569 locations tested in the full sequence test.

If you have only taken the HVR1 or HVR1/HVR2 level test, you will only have one badge, and it will say “Predicted.”

The haplogroup for the Plus test is predicted at a high level based on those 1000 locations, while the full sequence test tests the entire mitochondria and uses all locations to confirm your most granular and detailed haplogroup possible.

On your dashboard, if both the Plus and Full icons are pink, you have taken the mtFull test. If the “Full” is grey, you have not. You can click on that grey button to upgrade.

You can also navigating to on Add Ons and Upgrades in the top bar to upgrade to the full sequence test.

The third reason why someone might not have received a new haplogroup assignment is if they didn’t match with anyone else who has the same mutations, or variants, for a particular haplogroup.

In other words, if my mitochondrial DNA has had a mutation or two since my assigned haplogroup was formed and no one else has tested that has those exact same mutations, there’s no one else to form a new haplogroup with, but there might be in the future as additional people test and the tree continues to grow.

Think of those additional mutations, called Private Variants, as foundation blocks, or haplogroup seeds since they are still private to you, and not yet used for a haplogroup.

It’s easy to see if you have any Private Variants by clicking on Discover on your mitochondrial dashboard.

Scientific Details – Private Variants, Building Blocks, Haplogroup Seeds

If you have taken the full sequence test, click through to mtDNA Discover from your dashboard. If you aren’t signed in and click through from your dashboard, you won’t be able to see your variants or other information customized for you.

Navigate to Scientific Details, then click on the Variants tab.

Click on image to enlarge

Be sure that “Show private variants” is toggled to “on,” which is blue with a checkmark.

At the very top, you’ll see two things:

  1. Your haplogroup, which is indicated by the solid pink square.
  2. An F number followed by your private variants, if any, and if so, which ones.

I have no private variants or haplogroup seeds available to form a new haplogroup, so I have no ability to receive a more refined haplogroup.

Haplotype Clusters

However, I’m NOT out of luck, because I have something else – a Haplotype Cluster, indicated by having an F#. My Haplotype Cluster is F1752176 and is indicated by the pink outlined box.

I wrote about haplotype clusters in the article, Mitochondrial DNA: What is a Haplotype Cluster and How Do I Find and Use Mine?.

In a nutshell, haplogroups are only formed around reliable, relatively stable mutations, meaning those that are reliable and don’t tend to randomly mutate back and forth.

You may match exactly with a group of other people who share the same haplogroup, PLUS the same unstable mutations that don’t qualify to become haplogroup-defining.

Those groups of two or more people who match exactly on all mutations are members of the same  Haplotype Cluster – and Haplotype Clusters can be INCREDIBLY genealogically useful. In fact, let me go out on a limb here and say that I think they are even more genealogical useful than haplogroups, although both have their strengths. Let’s look at a good example.

Using Haplogroups and Haplotype Clusters Together

My family member, Jim, had a surprise waiting for him in his mitochondrial DNA. When he received his new haplogroup, I took a look to see what new information might be forthcoming.

His legacy haplogroup was V, and his new Mitotree haplogroup is V216a2 which is significantly more refined.

Before Mitotree and Haplotype Clusters, there wasn’t much to differentiate him from his other matches.

Let’s take a look at JUST his genetic information before adding genealogy.

If I click on the Time Tree for haplogroup V216a2, I see two testers with no cluster, meaning no one matches them exactly, and Jim’s cluster number F9712482.

Keep in mind that Jim might not match everyone in his haplogroup – only people at or beneath the matching threshold.

Jim’s new haplogroup, V216a2 was formed about 1056 CE, or about 975 years ago. Note that as the tree changes and becomes more refined, haplogroup formation dates change too. A haplogroup’s birth date is an approximate year when the mutations occurred that define that haplogroup, based on surrounding mutations and mutation rates.

Many people look at a haplogroup, especially one with a birth date of, say, 1056 CE, which is long before the formation of surnames, shrug their shoulders, and give up.

Don’t. Do. That.

So, let me say this as loudly as possible.

A haplogroup’s most recent common ancestor is NOT the EKA (earliest known ancestor) with any individual match. It’s the approximate date when ALL of the people with this haplogroup share a common ancestor.

When looking at haplogroups, don’t let locations thrown you. Keep in mind that country boundaries are fluid. What was at one time Hungary could be Germany or Romania or something else just a few years earlier or later. So don’t discount that information either. Think regions and take into consideration that people move around – and some people enter incorrect genealogy/location information.

Your common ancestor with the people, individually, who share your haplogroup,  is sometime between the haplogroup formation date and today. Everything else is a clue. 

Think about it this way. You share a haplogroup with your mother, and while you are both descended from the woman who lived when your haplogroup was formed – your most recent ancestor with that haplogroup is your mother – not the woman 975 years ago. Your most recent common ancestor (MRCA) with your mother and her sister is your grandmother – a lot closer in time than 1056 CE. 1056 CE the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) date for everyone in the haplogroup, not between you and any one person in particular. The MRCA date for you plus another person is sometime between now and 1056 CE.

So, let’s take a look at Jim’s results.

Finding Jim’s Gold Nugget

Jim has 27 coding region matches, of which six share both his new haplogroup, V216a2, AND Haplotype Cluster F9712482. His other matches are split between three related haplogroups, and multiple haplotype clusters.

Most of his family, meaning three of his grandparents, were from eastern Europe, meaning Germany, Hungary or the Austro-Hungarian empire as it was recorded in American records. Many genealogical records no longer exist in that region, or if they do, you have to know exactly where to look.

We were brick-walled with Jim’s matrilineal great-grandmother, Sophia Smith, who was born about 1877 and seemed to appear out of thin air.

Thanks to the new haplogroups, combined with Haplogroup Clusters, I knew to focus on his matches in this order:

  • Same haplogroup plus same Haplotype Cluster
  • Same haplogroup plus different Haplotype Cluster, because clusters are built around identical but less reliable mutations
  • Related haplogroup – this is unlikely to yield direct genealogical results, but can be very useful in terms of origins

Of Jim’s exact matches with the same Haplotype Cluster, three showed an earliest known ancestor (EKA) and three did not. Three provided a tree, and three did not. Of the trees, one was private and the other two provided no useful insight.

Of the people who provided EKA information, one EKA matches their tree information, one conflicts with their tree. After viewing their tree, it appears that they did not understand that the mitochondrial EKA is the most distant ancestor in your mother’s direct maternal line. They listed someone in their grandmother’s paternal line.

I find this easiest to deal with if I organize the research in a chart for each match.

Match # Earliest Known Ancestor EKA Location Tree Comment
#1 No No No
#2 No No No
#3 No No Yes – Private
#4 Yes – only one name “Egan” with brith and death dates Ireland Yes – Egan is surname of their grandmother EKA person listed tracks up wrong line in tree
#5 Yes Hungary No Elizabeth Schmidt Hornung b1888 d 1930
#6 Yes No Yes – matches EKA Ancestor born NC in 1811, no common names or location

Match #5 provided an EKA, but no tree, showed a country of origin as Hungary, and the identity of her EKA as “Elizabeth Schmidt Hornung b.1888 and d.1930.”

Hmmm…three things of interest here:

  • The location of Hungary, even though the oral history in Jim’s family said his great-grandmother was a Smith from the US, maybe New York. Jim’s family, including Sophia’s husband, was Eastern European. Remember, I couldn’t find any early records for Sophia Smith.
  • Smith is the anglicized version of Schmidt.
  • Hornung may be a married name.

I’m a genealogist, and Jim’s match had provided enough information that I was able to identify her ancestor, Elizabeth Schmidt, and find additional information.

Sure enough, Elizabeth Schmidt immigrated as an adult by herself, married Karl Hornung in Richland County, Ohio, the same location where Jim’s family was living. That information led me to another record, identifying a brother whose marriage license application provided their parents. Elizabeth’s parents were Ignatius Schmidt and Catherine Schlowe, and her sister was Sophia Schmidt, Jim’s great-grandmother. Deeper digging suggests that Ignatius and Catherine were from Timisoara in what is now Romania. I have been unable to confirm with birth, death or marriage records, but that part of Romania was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during that timeframe.

Immigration of siblings, alone, at different times after the 1910 census, without their parents, made this particularly difficult, as did cultural and language barriers – but mitochondrial DNA, and Jim’s Haplotype Cluster in particular, provided the key I needed.

Jim’s common ancestor with his Schmidt match is the birth date of Catherine Schlowe, which was probably about 1850 – NOT 1056 CE, which is the haplogroup formation date.

Don’t get discouraged by misinterpreting haplogroup origin information or missing genealogy information. All you need is that one good match. That gold nugget. Don’t forget that you can email your matches and ask for more information.

The Match Time Tree makes all of this easier.

Match Time Tree

The Match Time Tree shows match, haplogroup, location and Haplotype Cluster information all in one place.

It’s easy to use the Match Time Tree to view how all of your matches are grouped, along with their EKA, displayed together in one place.

Here are all of Jim’s matches. They were all originally haplogroup V, but now his matches have been divided into V216, V216a, V216a1, and V216a2 (Jim’s haplogroup).

I’ve obfuscated the names of his matches, but the EKA, when provided, is there. Each person is grouped into their haplotype cluster of exact matches, and the user-provided country of origin for their ancestor is shown by their profile photo.

Jim’s match with the descendant of Elizabeth Schmidt is indicated in the red boxes, and Jim has updated his own EKA and her country of origin.

Who is waiting for you in your match list?

Will extending and building out trees help?

Have you emailed your matches to see what additional information they can provide?

Female ancestors are sometimes the MOST difficult to find, often due to name changes  – so be sure to mine every possible avenue and don’t become discouraged if you don’t immediately see something “familiar.”

Every generation in a female lineage will probably carry a different surname and the match you need may not have researched as far back as your ancestor, or vice versa.

Don’t forget that autosomal matching can play an important role in confirming relationships.

But wait – there’s STILL more about Jim’s ancestors…

There’s Even More to Discover

There’s more to discover about Jim’s ancestors.

Jim’s Discover Ancient Connections tells me that 5200 years ago, Jim shared a common mitochondrial DNA ancestor with two Hungarian and a Slovakian Yamnaya cultural burial whose remains date to about 2800 BCE, or about 4800 years ago.

To be clear, the common haplogroup between Jim and all three burials dates to 5200 years ago, when their common haplogroup was formed, but the remains themselves are from about 4800 years ago – so only about 400 years difference between the haplogroup birth date and when those people lived, died and were buried.

How close are the remains to the location of Jim’s ancestor in Timisoara?

Using Google Maps, I placed the three Yamnaya burial locations (blue pins), plus Timisoara.

The two most distant points, Timisoara to Lesne, Slovakia, walking, is 393 km or 245 miles. The closest burial to Timisoara, located in Sárrétudvari, Hungary, is 157 km  or 119 miles.

So Jim’s ancestors remained in the same general area for someplace between 4,800 and 5,200 years. And, his great-grandmother was born not far from those burials. That alone is an INCREDIBLE find!

So, what happened to the people of the Yamnaya culture? I think we might have gained some insight into that question.

So, there’s even more to discover using Discover.

You don’t know what you don’t know about your matrilineal ancestors, so test your mitochondrial DNA at FamilyTreeDNA and break through those brick walls. I’ve already solved multiple long-standing mysteries and added generations to my own tree.

Plus, I really, REALLY want to know where every single ancestor “came from,” what culture they were a part of, and when. History is part of genealogy – and a part of our ancestral journey that we can’t reach any other way.

Fortunately, your matches, Scientific Details, Time Tree, Match Time Tree, and Ancient Connections help you visualize all of these various situations and aspects of your ancestor’s history, and evaluate your results.

Both haplogroups and Haplotype Clusters provide very fine degrees of granularity that were not previously available. MtDNA Discover adds a dozen new reports, and Ancient Connections allow you to time travel.

Let me know what you discover!

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Mitochondrial DNA: What is a Haplotype Cluster and How Do I Find and Use Mine?

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A new feature called Haplotype Clusters was released with the new Mitotree and mtDNA Discover.

MtDNA Discover includes a dozen new reports for EVERY haplogroup. You can use the public version of Discover with any haplogroup.

However, there are additional included features for mtFull testers, and other information provided will be much more detailed and robust because the mtFull test is much more specific than any partial haplogroup.

If you have only taken the older partial-coverage HVR1 or HVR1/HVR2 tests at FamilyTreeDNA, you can sign in and upgrade, or if you have received a partial haplogroup from another source, you can take the mtFull test at FamilyTreeDNA.

OK, I’ve Taken the mtFull Test, So How Do I Access My Discover Reports?

Sign in to your FamilyTreeDNA account, then from your mtDNA dashboard, click through to Discover to access your Discover reports.

Discover reports are in addition to the tools in the mtDNA Results and Tools section of your dashboard on FamilyTreeDNA.

Definitions

Let’s start with some basic definitions.

  • Haplotype – Your individual DNA results at specific adjacent locations that are generally inherited together.

Other people may have the same haplotype as you. If they have mutations that you don’t have, or vice versa, then you have different haplotypes. People with the same haplotypes match exactly on whatever type of DNA is being discussed, such as Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA, with no mutations or differences. Multiple people who match exactly are considered a Haplotype Cluster.

  • Haplogroup – A group of specific mutations that identify people who share a common genetic clan. Haplogroups, based on a series of mutations, can be traced forward and backward in time.

A haplogroup is a grouping of haplotypes with the same foundation mutations. You will share those mutations with other people in your haplogroup, but you may have other, different mutations that form your haplotype.

  • Other people will have the same haplogroup as you, because a group implies two or more.
  • You may or may not share a haplotype with other people. If you share the exact same haplotype with at least one other person, the two (or more) of you form a Haplotype Cluster

What is a Haplotype Cluster?

Haplotype Clusters are new and have been added to provide additional granularity to the new Mitotree, making results more genealogically useful.

In addition to your mitochondrial DNA haplogroup, you may also have a Haplotype Cluster if you took a full sequence mitochondrial DNA test, called the mtFull.

A mitochondrial DNA haplogroup, such as J1c2f for example, means that everyone within that haplogroup has the same foundation grouping of mutations. You may have additional mutations, or even some missing mutations, based on the older Phylotree Build 17, which was last updated in 2016.

Click to enlarge any image

To see your Extra and Missing Mutations in the Classic, or Phylotree build, on the FamilyTreeDNA mtDNA dashboard, click on “See More,” then on Mutations.

In the recently released Mitotree, which reconstructs the tree of humanity with more than 35,000 new branches, or haplogroups, many of those “extra” or “missing” mutations have been used in the definition of new haplogroups.

At FamilyTreeDNA, on your matches page, you’ll see your matches, like always. Matching has not changed.

You’ll notice that some are exact matches, and some may be “1 step” or more distant. That means they have one qualifying genetic mutation difference from you.

Some mutations have always been excluded from matching because they are unreliable. In my case, location 315.1C is one of those. You can read more about matching here. Matching has NOT been rerun with the release of the new Mitotree, but may be in the future.

The new Haplotype Clusters designate other people who you literally match exactly, with no differences – and no excluded marker locations.

So, let’s compare how I match people and what it means:

  • Haplogroup match – I match these people at the haplogroup level, which can reach back hundreds or even thousands of years ago. In addition, I may match them on both other relevant, reliable mutations, and/or unreliable mutations. On the current matching page, the mtDNA Haplogroup is the PhyloTree Build 17 haplogroup. Before Mitotree, matches to any other haplogroup were not displayed. Now, new haplogroups of my J1c2f matches, if they received a new haplogroup, are shown in the Mitotree Haplogroup column. My common ancestor with a match can have occurred anytime between when the haplogroup was formed and today.

Some people receive partial haplogroup level matches from other testing companies that also don’t include matching. A haplogroup match alone isn’t particularly useful except when it can eliminate a connection.

That’s why we need matching on the Matches page.

  • FamilyTreeDNA Matches Page Match – On the Matches page, I match these people at the haplogroup level as calculated based on Phylotree Build 17, as shown in the mtDNA Haplogroup Column at the Genetic Distance displayed. This means that I match them on the haplogroup markers PLUS possibly other markers.

My first match with Per, above, is listed as an exact match. Before Haplotype Clusters were introduced, I had no way of knowing if I matched him on all of my mutation locations, or just the ones that are NOT excluded from matching. But now I do.

My Haplotype Cluster number is F1752176. I know this because the little circle is checked and blue – meaning this person and I share both a haplogroup in the new Mitotree, and a Haplotype Cluster.

Ronald, above, is a match with a “1 step” Genetic Difference. I know for sure that I match him on the haplogroup markers. I also know that we don’t match on one non-excluded marker – but I have no idea which one. We may also match, or not, on some of the excluded markers. But we are not members of the same Haplotype Cluster. The blue circle is not checked.

You cannot be a member of more than one Haplotype Cluster, because everyone in a Haplotype Cluster must match exactly.

  • Haplotype Cluster – A Haplotype Cluster, if you have one, is a random F number assigned to people whose mitochondrial DNA matches exactly – and by exactly, I mean without excluding unstable or unreliable mutations.

You can see my Haplotype Cluster number, above, in the Mitotree Haplogroup column, in addition to my new Mitotree haplogroup – which is still J1c2f and did not change from the earlier version. In Mitotree, some people will receive new haplogroups, and some will not – based on your and other people’s mutations.

My match with Ronald is one step difference. Our haplogroup is the same, so that circle is checked, but Ronald belongs to a different Haplotype Cluster, so that circle is not checked, and he has a different F number. I can’t see his mutations that are different from mine, but I know he matches everyone else in his Haplotype Cluster exactly.

Let’s look at another example.

Click on any image to enlarge

Looking at my match list, I can see that beneath my matches’ haplogroup, which is the same as mine, F1752176 is checked and the checked circle is blue, which means that I share that Haplotype Cluster with those people. Everyone in that cluster has all of the same mutations in addition to the haplogroup-defining mutations, which is why both the haplogroup and haplotype circles are checked. I match both.

If I look at my Matches page, or the mtDNA Discover Time Tree, or Matches Time Tree, I can see that I have many exact haplotype matches, which means:

  • We all share haplogroup-defining mutations and
  • We match exactly on all other mutations as well

Before Haplotype Clusters were introduced, I had no way of knowing which of these people I matched exactly if no mutations were excluded.

To summarize, a Haplotype Cluster is a group of people who all match each other exactly within a haplogroup. People in Haplotype Clusters always match exactly, which INCLUDES mutations that are EXCLUDED from haplogroup formation and matching.

If you don’t match someone exactly, you’re not in the same Haplotype Cluster. You can either be in a different cluster, or no cluster at all if no one matches you exactly.

Everyone has a Haplotyupe Cluster number, but you will only be a member of a Haplotype Cluster if you have an exact match to at least one other person.

Don’t Ignore Other Clusters

The F number itself isn’t important. What is important is that Haplotype Clusters serve to focus your genealogy on that cluster first. However, understand that because the Haplotype Cluster does include unreliable or fast-mutating markers, it’s possible for you to share a more recent ancestor with people in a different cluster. It depends on the marker and the mutation, so don’t discount that possibility.

Who Can See Haplotype Cluster Mutations?

The only people who know the exact mutations of the people in a specific Haplotype Cluster are the members of that cluster – because they all match exactly.

If you scroll down your match list, you’ll notice that people, like Anastasia, who have a genetic distance of 1 step or greater have a different F Haplotype Cluster number, which is expected.

You may also notice that someone who is an “exact match” with you on the match list is assigned to a different Haplotype Cluster, such as Rose and Per. Rose is not in my Haplotype Cluster, but Per is, even though they are both “exact matches.”

Remember, “matching exactly” on the match list excludes unreliable mutation locations. Haplotype Clusters always match exactly and include all mutations. So, this tells me that I match Per on all mutation locations, regardless of their stability, and I match Rose on all stable locations, and we mismatch on at least one location that was excluded from matching.

However, the only people who know the exactly mutations of any other person are me and Per, because we both share a Haplotype Cluster. People in other clusters, or without a cluster, don’t know and can’t identify the mutations in clusters not their own.

  • The only thing I can tell about my match with Rose is that we don’t share one of the unreliable markers, because we are an “exact match” on the match list which excludes unstable markers. I have no idea whether I carry that unstable marker, or she does, or which marker it is.
  • The only thing I can tell about my match with Anastasia is that we don’t share at least one stable marker, because we are a “1-step” genetic distance, and we could also not share some of the unstable markers. I have no way of identifying those markers.
  • I know that I match Per exactly on all markers, including unstable or unreliable markers.

Included Versus Excluded Markers

Sometimes people who are listed as exact matches on your Matches page are assigned to different Haplotype Clusters. This is because mutations such as 309 and several others are included in Haplotype Clusters, but excluded from matching and haplogroup formation. The reason they are excluded is because they are sometimes unreliable – but they may be useful to your research. They aren’t always unreliable, but it varies on a case-by-case basis, including when the mutation occurred.

Location Haplogroup Formation Matching on Matches Page Haplotype Cluster
309 Excluded Excluded Included

Here’s an example using location 309. While some locations are excluded from matching, their inclusion in the formation of Haplotype Clusters may be very genealogically relevant to you – or perhaps not. That’s where genealogy research becomes important.

Haplotype Clusters give you the ability to focus your research on a specific group of people that you know do, in fact, match you exactly. Just keep in mind that some people in a different Haplotype Cluster, that don’t have a mutation at 309, for example, could have a closer common ancestor. That’s the nature of 309, 315 and other unstable SNPs, especially heteroplasmies, which tend to “come and go,” which I wrote about here. In other words, don’t ignore other Haplotype Clusters that appear on your match list – just begin with your own and evaluate using genealogy..

The Haplotype Cluster number itself isn’t important. What is important is that they serve to focus your genealogy efforts.

Where Else Can I Find My Haplotype Cluster

You can identify your Haplotype Cluster number by looking at your match list, as we have discussed, or by navigating to the Variants tab on the Scientific Details page.

On the variants tab, your haplogroup is marked with the solid red square, along with other information which I have truncated here.

Immediately above your haplogroup, you’ll see your Haplotype Cluster number, if you have one, along with any remaining private variants, aka mutations, that are haplogroup seeds and qualify to potentially become part of a haplogroup in the future.

In my case, this tells me that either all of my mutations are now included in a haplogroup definition, or they are excluded due to their instability or unreliability. Everyone else in this Haplotype Cluster is in exactly the same situation.

The only person who can see your Haplotype Cluster in Discover is you, if you are signed in to FamilyTreeDNA and you toggle “Show Private Variants” to “on.”

Haplotype Clusters as a Subset of Haplogroups

Haplogroups can and do have mutations “beneath” them, meaning haplogroup members may have different mutations or variants, in addition to the mutations used to form the haplogroup. Think of them as twigs or leaves on the tree.

Using the Classic Mitotree view in mtDNA Discover, you’ll notice that haplogroup J1c2f contains six Haplotype Clusters.

Please note that one of these clusters could be people who match the haplogroup definition exactly, and have no additional mutations of any type. They would form their own cluster.

Additionally, above the clusters, there are individual branches listed that don’t (yet) form clusters. You don’t know from looking at the individuals listed by country, such as Sweden, Germany, Norway, and so forth, if these people have only the exact mutations in haplogroup J1c2f, or if they have additional mutations that are unique and no one else has those exact mutations. What you do know is that so far, no one else matches them exactly, but as other people test, they may develop into a HaploType Cluster.

You may not match all of the people in your haplogroup on your matches page, because they may be over the match threshold and have too many mutations difference from you.

Some testers with unique, stable mutations may form new haplogroups as additional people test.

Using the Time Tree, you can see that there are currently 33 people who are in haplogroup J1c2f but do not match anyone else exactly.

The Discover Time Tree

Now that we’ve looked at examples individually, I took a screenshot of my entire haplogroup on the mtDNA Discover Time Tree to get the big picture.

The Time Tree offers a nice visual summary of all of J1c2f, including my full sequence matches, all in one place, along with Haplotype Clusters.

My haplogroup is shown in the black circle, and downstream haplogroups are shown in red circles.

You can see my Haplotype Cluster, which I can identify by the F#. You can see other Haplotype Clusters within my haplogroup, along with some individuals who don’t have any exact matches, who are shown alone on their line.

The Match Time Tree

When you click on Discover Haplogroup Reports from your dashboard, then on the Match Time Tree, you’ll see your matches’ names on your personal Time Tree, along with their self-reported earliest known matrilineal ancestors, in addition to their ancestor’s country of origin.

Here’s an example of a portion of my Match Time Tree with my matches’ names redacted.

With these new Discover and Mitotree tools, you know where to focus your research most closely. Which matches’ trees to view or build out to identify common ancestors, and who to prioritize for communications.

If you have a new haplogroup – that’s wonderful, but you don’t need one to make headway. The clue you need may well be found in your Haplotype Cluster.

There’s so much new information available for you. What can you discover?

_____________________________________________________________

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If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

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I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

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DNA for Native American Genealogy Webinar & Companion Book

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For those who couldn’t attend RootsTech 2025, you’re in luck, because my session, DNA for Native American Genealogy, was recorded as a webinar.

RootsTech tried something new this year, and some webinars were recorded live on the actual show floor. Seating for approximately 50 people was available, but unfortunately, these sessions weren’t included in the session schedule, so no one was aware that they could attend them live.

I’m very grateful to RootsTech for making the recording widely available – and for free.

The webinar includes 10 different techniques and tools available for testers to find and confirm (or sometimes refute) Native American ancestors.

I discuss ethnicity and why it may or may not be helpful, and how to morph your ethnicity results into a tool to identify which ancestors were Native. You may have Native ancestry, even if your ethnicity results don’t reveal that. Learn how to guage that possibility and what to do next.

Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, yours and other peoples, can confirm or refute Native heritage in each individual ancestral line.

After we discuss each of these techniques and how to use them, we talk about creating a DNA testing plan, and various ways to find autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA test candidates – or identify people who have already tested.

You can watch this webinar for free on YouTube, here.

Companion Book

I’ve also written a companion book, DNA for Native American Genealogy, which is available here for buyers inside the US, and purchasers outside the US can order at Amazon, here.

Enjoy both the webinar and the book!

_____________________________________________________________

Share the Love!

You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

Genealogy Products and Services

My Books

Genealogy Books

Genealogy Research

The Chauvet Cave: Trip Back in Time With Prehistoric European Humans – Are We Related?

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One of the reasons I love both mitochondrial and Y-DNA testing is because it doesn’t mix with the DNA of the other parent like autosomal DNA does. This means that in additional to being useful genealogically, it provides a direct laser-line back in time – even thousands of years – to your earlier ancestors.

You’ll never know their names, of course, but you can track where they lived and where they migrated – through their mutations – breadcrumbs that function as signposts pointing the way to your ancestors. Using Discover, you can discover (pardon the pun):

  • Their migration path
  • When haplogroup defining mutations occurred
  • Other countries where ancestors of people with that haplogroup lived in a genealogical timeframe
  • Where that haplogroup is found further back in time through Ancient Connections

Your haplogroup and DNA matching is a gift from and a ticket to our ancestors that every genealogist should unwrap.

My mitochondrial DNA haplogroup is J1c2f, but the earliest tests that I took two decades ago when this industry was young positioned my haplogroup first as J, then as J1, then as J1c.

It wasn’t until a dozen years later than my full haplogroup, J1c2f was identified when the mitochondrial haplotree was initially published, then developed as more testers tested, both academically and personally at FamilyTreeDNA. Today, of course, we have the new Mitotree with even more refinement.

The earliest tests only covered the HVR1 or HVR1 plus HVR2 regions of mitochondrial DNA, while the current mtFull test covers all 16,569 locations.

Nevertheless, knowing that I was a member of haplogroup J told me something about my early ancestry, as well as provided matching to other testers. That “something” was information I could obtain no other way

In 2003, we knew that early humans had been in Europe by 50,000 years ago, Hunter-gatherers who spent their lives seeking shelter and food. We knew little else about their lives or cultures.

In 1994, stunning rock art had been discovered in Chauvet Cave in France. Thanks to a landslide blocking the entrance some 21,000 years ago, this cave and its art had been protected from humans, wildlife and the elements.

After its accidental discovery, the French government guarded and protected this astounding record of humanity with fervor, not repeating earlier mistakes in other locations, such as the Lascaux Cave, by allowing tourism which essentially destroyed those caves and their art.

By JYB Devot – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64503410

Chauvet cave is sealed behind a steel door with very limited access

Research at Chauvet remains closely controlled. Scientists have revealed that the stunning cave art created by early humans was older than initially thought, having been created beginning about 35,000 years ago and extending over thousands of years.

This charcoal drawing of an Irish elk was tested at location GifA 96063 (green dot) and was dated to 36,000 years ago (14C AMS). Furthermore, it’s drawn over what may be the earliest potential known depiction of an erupting volcano.

Just imagine what our predecessors must have thought when volcanos erupted.

Were the Chauvet artists Neanderthal or modern humans, or a mixture of both? We don’t know, but we do know that the earliest DNA recovered from Germany and Czechia, who surprisingly, were distantly related groups, dated from 42,000 and 49,000 years ago. They carried mitochondrial haplogroups N and R and those people were admixed and had Neanderthal ancestors. Then again, so do contemporary Europeans and their descendants.

Later papers expanded on haplogroup migration to and through Europe. We are still learning today – in many cases due to paleoanthropology or archaeogenetics by genetic anthropologists. Excavation and testing of ancient remains continues to reveal fragments and details of our human migration story.

However, back in 2003, when my first results arrived, all we knew was that haplogroup J was a European haplogroup, probably having initially formed in the Levant or Fertile Crescent – and making its way to Europe over thousands of years.

By Communication Grotte Chauvet 2 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=137822676

We also knew that Chauvet Cave was the earliest evidence of humankind in a specific European location – so it made sense to wonder if my ancestors were among the cave-painters.

I voraciously read everything I could find about Chauvet Cave, looking at each image and wondering if my ancestor, someplace between 1200 and 1700 generations ago, stood holding red ochre, painted those amazing spiritual images and signed their work with a handprint signature by spitting red pigment over their hand, leaving an outline on the rock wall. Was this a shamanistic ritual, connecting the shaman with the rocks with the animals they painted?

Did the practitioners perhaps hold handfuls of red ochre paint, then splat them against the wall, creating large red polka-dots that remain some 30,000 years later? Was this something fun, adding a little levity to cave painting, or maybe it depicted a wound?

Scientists tell us today that two individuals created those dots. A male that stood about 5’9” and either a female or younger male who pressed their ochre-reddened hands into the cave walls. Did they laugh as they were making art, or was this a spiritual ritual and deadly serious? Did they have a concept of “art” as we do today, or was this their form of religion? Were they praying for a good hunt, or perhaps begging for protection – or maybe both. Maybe looking to appease the Gods if the volcano was threatening to erupt.

Was a trip to the Chauvet Cave a vision quest? Perhaps a rite of passage? Were the animals either signatures of a sort, or visions?

What did they call this cave? Did it have a name? Did they have names?

I could close my eyes and see them. Were these artists specially trained in these techniques – the best of the best in their cultural group? Was it talent or training, or both? Rites of passage? There seems to be a pattern of quality among the paintings that suggest that cave painting wasn’t just left to anyone.

Was this skill or trade passed down through the generations? Was it a right of the leaders or powerful – or maybe followed specific lines? Perhaps direct maternal or direct paternal, or some other inheritance pattern?

Did the painters ritually prepare the wood, making it into charcoal used to draw the lions?

Lions? In Europe?

And rhinoceroses? In present-day France?

How things have changed!

Perhaps they used early handmade tools to engrave and scratch images into the walls for us to marvel at today. They used horsehair brushes with pigments found in their environment to paint and shape the images.

Were the horses domesticated in any way, or were they wild horses?

Did they hunt the animals portrayed – animals long extinct before modern history? Horses, aurochs, deer and mammoths? Was this their way of blessing the hunt, as such?

Many paintings depicted predatory animals such as lions, panthers, leopards, bears, buffaloes, hyenas and even rhinoceroses and are not found in any other European caves.

This hyena and leopard, which is much smaller, both have red ochre spots.

Was this art meant to absorb the power of these powerful awe-inspiring animals, or perhaps they were drawm for protection?

Or, was the act of drawing itself a rite of passage?

Why are no smaller animals portrayed? Was this a cave of special power, or powers?

The cave was inhabited during two historical periods, the first some 30,000-40,000 years ago, and the second roughly 25,000-27,000 years ago. The artwork is from the first habitation.

What happened to those people? Did they move on and cease to inhabit this region?

The remnants of hearths are found in the cave’s soft clay floor, along with a child’s footprints. So are pawprints of cave bears who hibernated there, along with their skulls and the skull of a horned ibex.

Pawprints from about 26,000 years ago are either those of a dog or wolf. Was there a difference then? Had wolves yet been domesticated into dogs as we know them?

Were the paintings meant to protect the painters and their clan? Were they shamanic portals to a spiritual world?

Did they pray to these animals as deities? Why are no humans depicted?

Who were these people?

By JYB Devot – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64503433

Why did they select the Chauvet Cave, high on this limestone wall, in a cliff over hung by the massive rock column known as the Pillar of Abraham, as opposed to another location? Is there a special significance? Is the location above the natural bridge relevant? Was it a meeting place or a journey destination? Did the landscape look, from a particular angle, like a prehistoric animal or deity? Some suggest the bridge bears some resemblance to a mammoth from the cave entrance.

There’s only one problem with that theory. The river elevation at that time was much higher than it is today, and the bridge wasn’t carved by the river when the caves were being painted. Many caves in the area are archaeologically significant – but nothing like the Chauvet Cave.

Why this cave?

And why did they choose the deepest recesses of the cave, nearly impossible to reach, in which to paint the best of their stunningly realistic artworks? Was the difficult journey to the cave part of the ritual itself? Did they work in a trance, perhaps? Trances and shamanic practitioners, functioning in the realm of the supernatural, are as old as humanity itself.

Did the artists join their ancestors there? Carbon dioxide levels in the cave reach levels considered unsafe in the winter months.

Were my ancestors among the hundreds of generations of those artists? Were they buried there? Did they become one with the art, the spirits, and ascend to the spirit world from Chauvet Cave?

Or, were some perhaps born in the safety of the deep recesses of the cave where the most spectacular art is found in the Gallery of Lions? Future shamans, perhaps, under the watchful eyes of the spirit animals and those shamans who had come and gone on before?

Could their power or presence be summoned?

So, so many questions.

Yes, I allowed myself to be drawn into the mesmerizing, elusive and unknowable history of Chauvet Cave.

There’s a very real possibility that my ancestors had been there.

Stood there.

Maybe participated in rituals there.

Placed red ochre on the walls.

This slide from a very early DNA presentation pretty much says it all.

I never forgot Chauvet Cave.

I also never thought I would accidentally visit.

Perhaps they summoned me.

But first, let’s go back to 1994 in the Ardèche Valley, high above the Ardèche Gorge and the natural bridge carved into the limestone by the Ardèche River millennia ago.

1994

It was a cold afternoon on a day that would live forever, shaping and changing our understanding of human prehistory. On December 18, 1994, three friends, amateur cavers, officially discovered the cave. Another person, Michel Rosa, nicknamed Baba, had discovered a hole the previous summer, which he deemed an airhole or vent into a cave, but was blocked by a stalactite that he could not get past. He was not among the group of three who would make their way into the cave that winter.

By Thilo Parg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97312442

The entrance, marked above, was steep and difficult. The cave was long, and the depths, where the most remarkable art awaited, would not be reached for another several months.

Credit for discovery of the cave, and how much credit is deserved by whom is hotly disputed yet today.

Regardless, Eliette Brunel was the first to wedge her way into the hole, dropping into a world that time had frozen. After her eyes had adjusted and she looked past the crystalline deposits that had formed since the last humans visited more than 20,000 years earlier, she spotted fuzzy red lines on the wall, and exclaimed, “They have been here!”

The cave consists of six chambers, filled with prehistoric animals, plus two vulva-type figures, and perhaps one minotaur, depending on your interpretation.

These early artists achieved a realism not before known, nor discovered since, by incorporating the natural fissured and curves of the cave wall into the paintings, giving them motion, movement and life. That speaks of talent, not just copying and repeating a pattern.

Another of the three explorers, Jean-Marie Chauvet, for whom the cave was named the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, remarked at the “remarkable realism” and “aesthetic mastery” of the early artists and their drawings.

The sophistication of these paintings exceeded that of any early works, and most later ones as well. In one word, they are unique, and we may never fully understand their genesis, purpose or impact.

Less than a decade later, when my haplogroup J DNA results arrived, the thrill of the Chauvet Cave discovery was still fresh – as was my palpable excitement about understanding the path of haplogroup J, then nicknamed Jasmine, as she trekked across Europe.

Was Jasmine in the Chauvet Cave? I don’t know.

Were my other ancestors in the Chauvet Cave? Probably, if the people of Chauvet survived? When Europe was first populated, animals and hazards far outnumbered small bands of people. A tiny village or family group of, say, maybe 20 people could easily be wiped out. Their genetic line forever extinguished.

Let’s hope that we continue to find ancient remains in Europe, and perhaps in the limestone caves along the Ardèche River. If people returned to this same location for around 20,000 years, one might surmise that the legend or custom of cave painting was passed from generation to generation, or maybe group to group. However, the truly masterful paintings seemed to only occur when the first group of people lived there.

Of course, they couldn’t return to this cave after the rockslide sealed the entrance. I can only imagine how the people, who may have been returning for time immemorial, 700-900 generations, felt to return and see their sacred cave permanently sealed.

Did they feel it was divine intervention? How did they interpret that? It seems like they would have done more than just shrug.

Did they have any concept of the number of future generations that might succeed them, as they had succeeded their ancestors for those 800 or so generations?

Probably not, but yet there I was, at Chauvet, in the summer of 2023, quite my accident.

The Surprise Visit

I journeyed to France in the summer of 2023 to travel to various ancestral locations via riverboat along the Rhone River, and to bask in the land of countless ancestors.

The tour operators offered day trips that guests could select from, and I chose one that included a walk in the beautiful village of Viviers, a visit to a lavender distillery, and the Ardèche Gorge. Truthfully, it was the lavender distillery, Maison de la Lavande, and the medieval village that hooked me. The Gorge was an added benefit.

Little did I realize…

We set out to visit the Massif Central and the Ardèche region. Ironically, I almost didn’t go, because I was concerned about the twisty curvy roads, and I didn’t want to feel ill. I sat near the front of the tour bus, just behind the driver, which afforded a wonderful view. Albeit, sometimes, a frightening view as the magnitude of the driving challenge was evident.

What I didn’t anticipate was a day trip that would include the Chauvet Cave.

The bus route through the Massif Central followed the Ardèche Gorge and winding Ardèche River, hundreds of feet below.

The river carves its way through the limestone cliffs, sculpting the land beneath and beside it’s wandering path.

It’s truly a long way down. Kayakers enjoy the slow-moving waters.

Kayak rentals abound along the lower reaches of the river.

The road runs high in the mountains, parallel to the river gorge, with overlooks at a few locations along the way. Few places have enough space for an extra lane, so overlooks are quite limited.

It was difficult for me to fend off motion sickness, but I managed, and it turned out to be well worth the effort.

It was an exceptionally hot day, so excuse my appearance.

If I look happy here, I didn’t yet know that the Chauvet Cave would present itself, literally, in front of me.

I hadn’t thought about the Chauvet Cave in some time and hadn’t put two and two together.

A few hours into our journey, we needed to stop for a bathroom break, to give the poor bus and driver a break, and to eat lunch.

When you are driving along the road beneath Chauvet Cave, at the base of the cliffs, you can’t see much of anything except foliage.

You can see the little walk in the field that begins a very steep hike and climb onto the cliffs. I took pictures here with absolutely no idea what I was photographing, although this one is from Google Maps later. What were the chances of taking a photo of that exact place and discovering it only later after the cave’s location had been pointed out to me?

The cave is unmarked, so you’d never know it was there if you didn’t know. We drove right past this incredible site, and no one was aware. It hadn’t clicked yet for me, either.

This unremarkable, humble little fence is the only clue. If you’re worried about me revealing the location, don’t be. The site is impenetrable.

You can see the loop, the location of the cave, the “person” on the road beside the stone building where we ate, and the camera icon is the natural bridge.

Our lunch stop, the stone building above, is essentially the only place in the area that has amenities with parking that could accommodate the bus. There were no other choices, but it was lovely and we didn’t care. I’ve marked the cave to the right, but we still had no idea.

When I say amenities, I mean remote French country, with a very cute, rather rustic but very clean building surrounded by flowers.

We piled out, stood in line for the restroom facilities which had been built onto a historic stone building without restroom facilities. There are very few new buildings in France. You can tell this is the only facility for many miles because this sign expressed exactly how we all felt.

We had a good laugh.

We were invited to find a seat at the few tables at what I think was actually a campground. There were maybe three tables inside and several more outside on the patio.

I’m an outside person, hot weather or not, so I found my way to the most distant table, beneath a tree, across from the vineyard, beside a flower box. Yes indeed, this is my idea of a wonderful, peaceful respite.

I could stay here forever.

This choice would turn out to be an incredible “happy accident.”

One of the two servers brought us a pitcher of ice water and glasses. And wine. Every meal has wine, but I’m not a wine connoisseur so my husband always gets mine too. I’m happy and he’s very happy:)

When traveling as a group, you often don’t get a lunch choice, or if you do, it’s either item 1 or item 2. I don’t recall what I selected. The menu was in French and I got the gist of it, but it really didn’t matter – I’m flexible and like to try new things. Often Jim and I order something different so we can both try two new things. We call it “adventure eating.”

Keep in mind that France is a much more laid back place than the US. Lunch may take an hour. Maybe two. Maybe all afternoon. It’s more about the event and the camaraderie and enjoying the food that getting full.

As we relaxed, waited for our lunch, enjoyed the wine, and chatted among ourselves, for some reason, it struck me that I thought I recalled that the Chauvet Cave was someplace in this region.

I had no cell reception, so I found our lovely French tour guide who was sitting inside with our bus driver, and asked.

I struggle with French, and she struggled with English, so I thought sure she had misunderstood my question when her answer was “Oui, Juste ici,” meaning “Yes, right here.”

No, I didn’t mean generally – I mean where, exactly? Will be pass anyplace close?

Yes, she replied, “it’s right here.”

Wait? What?

Me: Chauvet Cave?

Her: Oui, Grotte Chauvet?

Me: Where?

Her, pointing: “Juste là-bas.“ – Right over there.

Me: Vraiment? (Really?)

Her: “Oui, vraiment.”

My incredulity must have been written all over my face.

She came outside and sat down beside me. I showed her my phone with a picture of a map from earlier. She put the phone on the table and started pointing.

I was very confused.

She stood up and motioned for me to come with her.

We walked across the gravel road to the vineyard and she began to point.

“Right there,” she said, “on the cliff.”

“Where on the cliff?”

“Under the bushes?”

“Which bushes?”

I took this picture, and she pointed to the bushes beneath the rocky portion of the mountain, to the right of the large bushy glob, for lack of another word.

I was utterly and completely dumbstruck.

Speechless.

I stood mute in disbelief.

I finally found my words again and asked how she knew the exact location of the cave? She told me she lived in the little nearby village, and her friend actually discovered the cave. Everyone, she said, who lives there knows exactly where it is.

How is this even remotely possible?

July 8, 2023 – Facebook posting

OMG, I’ve died and gone to Heaven. I’m literally at the Chauvet Cave, the oldest evidence of human art in Europe. And it’s beyond stunning.

I’m pinching myself.

I had no idea we’d be here. This is not a bucket list item for most people, but it assuredly is for me. I’ve worked with and studied human migration for 25 years now, and this cave is sacred.

Very few people inhabited what would be Europe 35K years ago. Those that did painted this cave, recording animals we had no idea lived here. They were probably the ancestors, one way or the other, of most Europeans and their descendants today.

As luck would have it, a friend of our guide that lives in her tiny village discovered the cave, so she knew exactly where it is – and showed me.

Better yet, I’m having lunch looking directly at the cave. I feel like I’m living a dream. First this stunning location and then to discover I sat myself in front of the cave.

I truly could not believe the incredible odds that I would accidentally manage, by happenstance, to wind up having lunch is a remote region of mountainous France, literally looking at Chauvet Cave immediately in front of me.

And, by luck of the draw, have a women from this area who knew exactly where the cave is as my tour guide – for a tour that originated maybe three hours away on the Rhone River.

Tell me my ancestors weren’t calling to me.

I sat spellbound, eating the artistic, beautiful food, in the best seat in all of the Ardèche Department in France.

I cannot take my eyes off of the limestone cliff wall – connecting with those people who walked there, perhaps my most distant ancestors in Europe, across 40,000 years. I wonder how those humans originally found the cave. Were they seeking shelter?

We had some free time, and I left the group and walked alone in the vineyard that stands as a silent sentry today. Did the people who painted the cave also cultivate any agriculture, or was that still too early in human history.

I was spellbound to this place and that time. Utterly transfixed.

I saw a path, and I had to explore. Isn’t that the story of my life. Is that what they did, too?

I walked towards the cave, which seems to beckon me. Perhaps the cave that sheltered humanity, allowing us to survive.

I feel like I’ve been drawn home to the cradle of European humanity – the wellspring of our shared human story. Hooked like an unwitting fish in the water and reeled right in by some powerful ancestral force.

I don’t know how to describe this surreal moment other than perhaps some combination of an out-of-body experience and transcendent state of flow. Time paused, or perhaps collapsed in on itself. The boundaries between then and now, and them and me, dissolved. It felt both ancient and present – beyond time as we understand it – an umbilical cord somehow inexplicably tethering us.

Words are entirely inadequate.

In this picture, you can see the steep access path, beneath the rocky ledge, and other caves as well.

You’ll notice other limestone caves all along the cliffs throughout the region, but none of those caves even hold a candle to Chauvet – and none were treated in the same way. Why was Chauvet special?

Caves aren’t easy to access. Either they are high on the cliff walls, requiring either rappelling down or climbing up through narrow paths, then fissured rocks.

Here’s a nearby limestone cave. And no, I did not go splunking. Being with a tour group does not afford that amount of flexibility – especially since the cave wasn’t even on the agenda at all. Plus, by this time, I was alone, and you NEVER embark on a risky adventure alone. I’ve been there, done that, and broke my ankle in the process. Plus, there was more to see.

I turned around and hiked down to the river to see what awaited there.

This area is extremely popular with kayakers who walk their kayaks down this path and launch just before the beautiful natural arch bridge which you can see, at left, above.

By Jan Hager – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51738871

After reaching the water, I decided to hike on the path above and along the river, which afforded me a stunning view of the river, bridge and the mountains on both sides.

I suddenly realized that the river level 35,000 years ago was MUCH higher than it is today. It didn’t run beneath the arch, which hadn’t yet been hollowed out, but over the top, which meant the valley floor was also elevated.

OH!

The river is to my immediate right, and path in front of me continues straight to the mountains, or turns left to Chauvet. Isn’t that the perfect metaphor for life.

Standing at the intersection of the walk to the river, and the path alongside the river, you can see the bridge in the center, just to the right of the fence, the mountains on both sides, and Chauvet to the far left.

On this photo, I’ve marked both the top of the arch of the bridge, and the Chauvet cave, with red arrows. Based on the elevation, you can see that before the river carved the bridge, the landscape of the valley would not have been worn away, and human access to the cave would have been much different. In other words, the valley floor would have been much closer to the cave.

This makes so much sense.

As much as I wanted to stay, it was time for me to go.

I found it ironic that on the way back to join the group at the bus, I found this sign which, translated by ChatGPT, says:

The Invisible History of the Pont d’Arc

The arch of the Pont d’Arc is a unique natural monument in the world.
It has probably fascinated humanity for millennia.

Like a totem, it evokes a gateway between two worlds: the visible and the invisible, the familiar and the wild, mystery and knowledge.

Hidden within this setting is the decorated Chauvet-Pont d’Arc Cave,
classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It has revealed to our amazed eyes drawings over 36,000 years old.

But did you know that this site holds other hidden stories?

By exploring the Combe d’Arc, discover the invisible stories sheltered by this majestic landscape:

    • how water sculpted, drop by drop, this mineral arch
    • how, over the ages, humans found their place in this extraordinary location

Introspective Journey

While the rest of our tour group had lunch, sandwiched between two other stops, plus some time to walk along the river and view the natural bridge, I had taken an amazing journey back in time and visited ancient humanity. The people who painted those incredible images in the Chauvet Cave are probably the ancestors of every European, assuming even one of them survived to reproduce, or the ancestors of no one today, if their lines perished.

One way or another, humanity did survive, and standing on this sacred site allows us, today, to glimpse a time far in the past – just as our mitochondrial and Y-DNA do as well.

Our own ancestors speak to us from long ago, and the mutations we carry from them light the way back in time, through the Ardeche and the mountainous regions of France, expanding into the rest of Europe.

A priceless window in time.

Indeed, as Eliette exclaimed, “They have been here,” and perhaps they still are, in us.

Resources

If you’re interested, I found three YouTube videos that expand upon the Chauvet Cave.

My one regret is that I didn’t know about the Cavern du Pont-d’Arc, a vast to-scale reproduction of the Chauvet Cave. I would have found a way to visit, even if I had to hire a private driver for a day.

___________________________________________________________

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New “Share” Features at FamilyTreeDNA Blur Match Information and Make Sharing Easy

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Have you ever wished you didn’t have to blur or otherwise redact each name and other sensitive information in order to share your DNA match results? Or maybe you’d like to share fun Discover pages? Well, you got your wish!

FamilyTreeDNA has introduced a new “Share” feature in two locations. The first Share feature is available in your personal account after signing in, and two additional features can be found in Discover.

  1. “Share Mode” on your personal page obfuscates the names and photos of your matches.
  2. “Share Mode” in Discover obfuscates the names and photos of your matches on your Match Time Tree.
  3. “Share Page” in Discover shares publicly available pages to social media or provides a sharing link for you.

These are extremely easy to use and help immensely, allowing you to share screenshots on social media and with family without revealing the names of your matches.

I’ll show you, step-by-step, how to use all three.

“Share Mode” in Your Personal Account

When you want to enable Share Mode, you just toggle it on.

Sign in to your account at FamilyTreeDNA.

Select Account Settings beneath your name in the upper right-hand corner.

Under Privacy and Sharing, toggle Share Mode to “ON.” Default is “OFF.”

Sharing turns itself back off each time you sign out, so you’ll need to do this each time you sign on and want to share.

To see the results, let’s take a look at my match page. Sharing works the same way for Y-DNA matching, mitochondrial or Family Finder.

Not only does Share obfuscate your matches’ names, it also blurs their picture, and your information as well, at upper right.

This is wonderful for presenters!

Using “Share Mode” in Discover

On your dashboard, for either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA, select “Discover Haplogroup Reports” in the appropriate section.

Discover has two ways to share.

You can share your Match Time Tree, or other pages – using different tools.

Only one Discover page, the Match Time Tree, contains potentially sensitive match information. There’s a “Share Mode” for the Match Time Tree that blurs private information.

However, you may want to share your other Discover reports on social media. “Share Page” provides a quick and easy way to share any publicly available page.

Let’s look at both of those options.

Discover “Share Page”

Every page in Discover, except for the Match Time Tree and Globetrekker™, has a “Share Page” icon at the top.

You can share any Discover page on social media (except as noted below), whether you’ve clicked through to Discover from your dashboard, or you’re using the public version of Discover.

In this case, I clicked on “Share Page” to share my Haplogroup Story page to Facebook. On your social media platform of choice, or by sharing the link, your friends can click through to see the page you’ve shared – minus your name and photo.

Please note that there are four Discover pages that either do not share or will display reduced information when using “Share Page,” as follows:

  • Globetrekker™ is an amazing animated video of your ancestors’ trek across the planet which is reserved for FamilyTreeDNA clients who purchase the Big-Y test or the mtFull, full sequence mitochondrial DNA test. Globetrekker™ does not use the “Share Page” feature, and is not yet released for mtDNA Discover.
  • Ancient Connections uses the “Share Page” feature, but only publicly displays a few ancient DNA haplogroup matches. Several more are reserved for testers who have taken either the Big-Y or mitochondrial DNA full sequence test, and click through from their dashboard. In a kit I just checked, two or three displayed when shared publicly, but the tester had more than 20 when clicking through his dashboard.
  • Notable Connections uses the “Share Page” feature and functions like Ancient Connections.
  • The Match Time Tree does not use the “Share Page” feature, which populates to social media, but there is a “Share Mode” option which blurs your matches’ sensitive information, similar to your personal page. After blurring, you can take screen shots to share.

Discover Share Mode for the Match Time Tree

The Match Time Tree on Discover is an extension of matching – meaning that your matches are placed on the Time Tree with names of tester-provided Earliest Known Ancestors (EKA) and their country of origin listed.

To view your Match Time Tree, click through to Discover from your FamilyTreeDNA dashboard, then select “Match Time Tree.”

You need to enable “Share Mode” within Discover, even if you had it enabled on your personal page. Toggle “Share Mode” to ON at the top of your Match Time Tree page.

Enabling “Share Mode” obfuscates the names and photos of people on your match list, who now appear on your Discover Time Tree in their proper place. You’re there too!

To share this page publicly, you’ll need to take a screenshot – so please don’t forget to enable “Share Mode” within Discover before doing this.

Benefits of Sharing

The best thing we can do for DNA testing, speaking broadly, is to encourage additional testers who are excited about what they can discover.

Sharing our pages and discoveries on social media is a great way to generate excitement.

Who do you know that might be excited to discover that they share an ancestor with Leo Tolstoy or maybe “Wild Bill” Hickock, even if it’s hundreds of years ago?

How about discovering that an Ancient Connection is a Viking man who was buried in Shestovista, Ukraine about a thousand years ago, and you two shared an ancestor about 1900 years ago? Might that provide a clue about your genealogy? What was the life of your ancestor like?

Or, maybe your friends and relatives would be excited to view the path their ancestors took, marching across the map, until their ancestor arrives on the globe where their haplogroup is most recently anchored?

Trying to get Uncle John or Aunt Mary to test? What kind of information would they think is cool?

A scientist I know especially loves the Ancient Connections that extend far beyond the reach of surnames.

One of my ancestral lines has an ancient DNA match just 9 kilometers from the town where they are rumored to have originated in France. Along the ancient Roman road. How else would I have EVER made this discovery?

The more people that test, the larger the matching pool – and the better for all genealogists.

Thank you to FamilyTreeDNA for introducing “Share Mode,” which makes sharing matches with other researchers effortless, and for “Share Page” within Discover, which makes sharing publicly a breeze!

Who can you share and collaborate with?

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RootsTech 2025 – The Year of Discover and the New Mitotree

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Last week, RootsTech was a whirlwind and full of discoveries – which, ironically, was the 2025 theme.

I always take you along with me and share the RootsTech experience, start to finish, so here’s my 2025 “feet on the ground” report.

I might, just might, have overcommitted myself. I taught the half-day DNA Academy,  three more sessions, plus several other commitments such as book signings, get-togethers, and interviews.

One class, “DNA for Native American Genealogy,” was a live webinar from the floor of the expo hall. You can watch that here for free, if you’re interested.

Unfortunately, none of my other sessions were recorded, but I’ll see what other alternative options may be available to bring those to you.

Additionally, I did two book signings at the GenealogyBank booth, along with two other authors, Drew Smith and Sunny Morton. I’m sorry, I don’t have any pictures. I should have asked someone to take some.

There were long lines and books sold out. Still, you can order either of my books, The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA – Y-DNA, Mitochondrial, Autosomal and X-DNA or DNA for Native American Genealogy, at Genealogical.com. Thank you to GenealogyBank for being so welcoming.

The book signing was particularly fun because people shared their success stories or their hopes of what they want to achieve. I met a couple of new cousins too! Even people waiting in line were helping each other with information about research resources.

I had created my “RootsTech plan” for sessions I wanted to attend, but I was only able to actually attend one of those. Several were happening at the same time as mine, or directly before or after. As a presenter, you arrive early to get set up and make sure everything is working correctly.

Then, after your session, attendees have questions and are interested in your topic, which is a good thing. So essentially, you can’t attend sessions either before or after your session either.

Before I share photos, I’d like to share something else.

It’s About the People

I have never attended RootsTech for the classes, although there are wonderful offerings – and I have enjoyed them immensely.

Having said that, for me, the best part of RootsTech is the people. People I know and love but never get to see – many of whom I met in-person at RootsTech initially. I get to meet my blog followers. I meet with or reconnect with friends and cousins from around the world. I am privileged to talk with people about their challenges and their victories – when they’ve broken through a brick wall using DNA that they could never have otherwise achieved. People collaborating and helping each other. It’s all beautiful.

The reason I started blogging in the first place, and the reason all 1750 articles are free, is because I wanted to help people do just that – confirm ancestors, find ancestors, and connect with their fsmily.

My cousins that I’ve met through genealogy are some of my closest friends and closest family members. Outliving everyone is a mixed blessing but it makes me extremely grateful for my various cousins since all of my siblings and close family, with the exception of the next generation, have transitioned to the land of the ancestors.

So, yea, for me, RootsTech is about connecting and reconnecting with the people.

That’s also why I never get anything done because I’m always talking with someone.

Additionally, this particular RootsTech was a celebration.

Mitotree Release

Just a few days before RootsTech, the Million Mito Team at FamilyTreeDNA released the brand new Mitotree, 5 years in the making, reconstructing the tree of humankind to reflect our combined heritage more accurately.

At RootsTech 2020, I was honored to announce the Million Mito Project, and the new Mitotree initiative was born.

At some point, I will write about the deep, personal significance of the Mitotree for me,  but for now, suffice it to say that there is something profoundly moving about rewriting the tree of humankind and in doing so, giving a voice to our ancestors from long ago. Yes, I know many of them are thousands or even tens of thousands of years old, but had they not survived, we would not be here today. Now we can identify who they are and that they lived.

Million Mito Team, left to right, Goran Runfeldt, Dr. Paul Maier, me, Dr. Miguel Vilar, Bennett Greenspan, John Detsikas

Our amazing Dream Team has given life to our ancestors and said their names once again, even if their name is a mitochondrial DNA haplogroup. Four team members, Goran, Paul, me and Bennett were at RootsTech. Where else can you actually approach and speak with the actual scientists?

When I say RootsTech is about the people, I know that I am related to every single individual at RootsTech, it’s just a matter of how far back in time. So are you.

Just think about the significance of that for a minute.

Every. Single. Person.

The other end of the mitochondrial DNA spectrum is genealogy, of course, and the new Mitotree with it’s haplotype clusters brings mitochondrial DNA results into the genealogical timeframe. In future articles, I’ll be writing about each one of the new tools, what they mean, and how to use them.

Dr. Paul Maier, lead scientist doing most of the hard science behind Mitotree, had the much-deserved honor of introducing the Mitotree to genealogists at RootsTech.

I’m not sure the audience understood they were witnessing history unfold, but they clearly were. We needed a drum roll and some balloons!

This wasn’t like most vendor announcements of a new product or feature – this was a major scientific achievement that led to genealogical benefits.

In celebration, I asked my friend to make double helix zipper pulls so that I could give them to colleagues, friends and cousins that I ran into at RootsTech. It’s my way of celebrating and sharing the joy!

Five years is a very long time to work on a project. The Mitotree is a massive accomplishment. Every customer at FamilyTreeDNA who has taken the full sequence test received their new haplogroup either the week before or during RootsTech, AND, the second updated version of the tree was released too.

While this is truly wonderful, the true highlight is the testimonials – seeing how Mitotree is actually helping people break through their brick walls.

Here’s just one.

Breathless Testimonial

I’m going to try to convey this exactly as it happened.

A lady that I don’t know literally runs up to me in the hallway. This isn’t unusual. She was so excited that what she said was one long breathless sentence, which I’m going to try to reconstruct here, although I’m adding a bit of punctuation. I also can’t remember how many “greats” were attached to the “grandmother,” but you’ll get the idea.

Roberta, Roberta, I’m so excited – I just wanted to let you know – I found my ancestor using mitochondrial DNA. I got my new haplogroup and I had like 47 matches before but now they are clustered together so I could focus…and there were three matches in my cluster…and one of them had an EKA but the other didn’t…so I built out the EKA matches’ tree and guess what??? They were from the same place and then I found that her great-great-grandmother’s sister is my great-great-grandmother but she had her surname so now I have more generations too. OMG I ‘m so excited I could never have broken through this wall without mtDNA because I had no surname. This is THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL DNA TEST I’VE EVER TAKEN, and I’ve taken them all. Thank you, thank you!

And with that she quickly hugged me and ran off to something she was obviously late for.

I never got to say one word, which was fine, but I stood there with tears in my eyes, thinking to myself, “This – this is what it’s all about.”

It doesn’t get better than this!

I want to hear your stories too. I just scaled my fourth brick wall last night using the new Mitotree and mtDNA Discover features.

RootsTech Week

RootsTech week started early for me – as in leaving the house at 3 AM Sunday. I fly on Sunday because the flights are cheaper and because the pre-conference meetings and events begin on Monday.

We took off into the dawn, jetting our way westward through the azure blue sky.

I have never gotten over the majesty and beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

And then, of course, the Great Salt Lake, for which Salt Lake City is named.

Looking at the Salt Palace across the street from the Marriott hotel. The silver building is the new Hyatt which is attached to the conference center behind the windmills which extends another very long block to the right, out of view. The mountain range is visible in the distance, and the beautiful sunset.

Speaking of the Marriott hotel, several people have asked if it was any better this year, and if I got trapped in the fire exit again, like last year.

No, I didn’t get stuck because I didn’t tempt fate again. It looked just the same though, so I’m presuming nothing has changed. Furthermore, there was no heat in my room, so they gave me a space heater and a pass to the concierge level – which they did not do last year.

That was kind of them, but food ran out, and there was only one poor server in the restaurant. I’m not even going to mention the nauseating thing that happened with my food. Let’s just say I’m not picky, but I will NEVER eat there again, and that makes it particularly difficult because there’s very little close by, especially when you’re exhausted.

I’m hoping that RootsTech will negotiate someplace different for speakers in the future. I’ve stayed in a lot of Marriotts and most of them are just fine. I have never had issues like this with any of them, let alone repeat issues year after year.

The good news is that we’re not there for the hotel, and the fun began on Monday.

Monday

My interviews began on Monday morning with “Mondays with Myrt” at the FamilySearch Library, which you can view here beginning about 16 minutes.

Mondays with Myrt is a RootsTech tradition and Myrt incorporates people present in person and tuning in virtually as well. Left to right, Kirsty Gray from England, John Tracy Cunningham, me and Myrt. Kirsty had a huge breakthrough that she shared with us just a few minutes after it happened.

I met John at the ECGGS Conference last October. He’s one of the few people I know whose 8 great-grandparents were born in the same county. I’m so jealous. Mine were either born in or first generation immigrants from four countries.

Sometimes the broadcast waiting area is just as much fun as the actual broadcast – in part because it’s the first day of RootsTech week and everyone is so excited to see their friends that they haven’t seen in forever. Call is a reunion!

Do Kirsty Gray and I look like we’re about to get into mischief?

Behind me is the first group of folks to be interviewed.

Pat Richley-Erickson, aka Myrt, Cheryl Hudson Passey, Laura Wilkinson Hedgecock, and Jenny Horner Hawran.

This is the livestream room at the FamilySearch Library. The waiting area for the next group is to the right, and the three presently being interviewed are sitting on the left beside Myrt.

For those who know Gordon, aka Mr. Myrt, he’s coordinating interviewees outside the livestream room. His job is herding cats and he’s the nicest cat-herder you’ll ever meet!

Pre-RootsTech Library Research

I love the FamilySearch Library. It feels like coming home to me.

So many passionate genealogists at every level – learning and searching. Lots of volunteer helpers available, too.

Normally, I create a research plan for the library, but I had been so utterly slammed between preparing my several RootsTech sessions and the Mitotree release that I hadn’t really been able to prepare anything.

I did, however, have a group of ancestors in mind that settled in the Oley Valley in Pennsylvania, so I decided to focus on the Berks County books.

I won’t bore you with the details, but among other things, I found confirmation that the Hoch surname is also the same as High and Hoy, which explains some very confusing Y-DNA results. So even though I didn’t get much productive time there, I did find something very useful in the land records.

I also ran into cousins and friends, of course, which is why I didn’t get more actual research done.

I knew Judy Nimer Muhn, at left, was going to be at RootsTech as a speaker, and I knew we connected through Acadian lines, but we never took the time to really piece together that puzzle.

My cousins, Mark and Manny were also coming for RootsTech, and to visit the library, for the first time. Mark, Manny and I visited Nova Scotia together in the summer of 2024, chasing our ancestors.

You know, fate is a funny thing.

We all descend from Acadian, Francois Savoie who was born about 1621 in France, but settled in Acadia, today’s Nova Scotia. Mark, Manny and I knew that we are cousins through Francois, but Judy and I did not. Mark, Manny and I ran into a local historian, Charlie Thibodeau, the Acadian Peasant, last year, outside of Port Royal. It just so happened that he was taking another couple to see the remains of the Savoie homestead deep in the salt marshes at BelleIsle.

We asked if we could join them, and Charlie was kind enough to include us. It was a long, brutally hot, tick-infested hike through the swamp, but oh so worth it!

We also found the well, located between three homesteads.

The year before, Judy had been in the same place in Nova Scotia, found the same man, Charlie, at the BelleIsle Hall Acadian Cultural Centre, and he had taken her to the remains of the same homestead.

And here we all four are in Utah.

What are the chances?

Needless to say, we had a LOT to talk about, and still do. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get to Judy’s talk, but Mark and Manny attended.

I ran into Katy Rowe-Schurwanz, the FamilyTreeDNA Product Manager at the library too, and look what she’s wearing – a mitochondrial DNA scarf. How cool is that!

The rest of Tuesday and most of Wednesday morning were spent trying to update my several presentations to reflect newly released information by various vendors and practicing the timing of the presentations. I had another interview, and more people were arriving.

I found time to visit Eva’s Bakery about 3 blocks from the Salt Palace. If you’re ever in Salt Lake City, Eva’s is a must! Lunch is wonderful, and so are their French pastries.

Wednesday is “tech prep” day at RootsTech, along with speaker instructions and then the Speaker Dinner.

Steve Rockwood, President and CEO of FamilySearch always delivers an inspirational message and this year did not disappoint.

If you’ve wondered about RootsTech conference stats, they provided this information. I can’t even imagine trying to coordinate all of this – and that’s not including the vendors, expo hall, technology in the presentation rooms, food, security and so much more.

Last year, in 2024, the final attendance numbers were more than 16,000 people in person and 4 million virtual attendees. I noticed a few days ago that there were more than half a million people participating in Relatives at RootsTech, which is still live until April 12th.

On Wednesday evening, after the Speaker’s Dinner, vendors in the Expo Hall were putting the final touches on their booths and preparing for the thousands of excited genealogists who would descend Thursday morning.

Discover

This year’s RootsTech theme was “discover” and attendees were greeted with this display just inside the door.

Attendees listed their discoveries on Post-its and could either post them on the board or plastic boxes, or on the green tree.

I placed my discovery from the day before at the library on the Rootstech tree.

Some people place their wishes here, kind of like a technology wishing well.

I couldn’t help but think of the new Mitotree, now forever green and growing, so I posted a second discovery, “Mitotree.”

Thursday – Opening Day

For those who don’t know, the Salt Palace Convention Center is two lengthy blocks long, a block wide, and two or three stories high, depending on whether you are in the front or rear portion. In other words, it’s massive and you need a map!

The huge Expo Hall with vendors is located in the center on the first floor and vendors have aisle addresses. The show floor is always very busy, and this year was no exception. One of the things I love is that spontaneous conversations just spring up between people who often find commonalities – common ancestors, common locations, and more. People compliment each other and join others at tables. It’s like a big family gathering of sorts.

I always try to walk the entire Expo Hall, because I really enjoy seeing the vendors and their wares, but this year, I never actually had enough time to traverse all the aisles. I took several pictures as I was passing through and running into people, but not nearly enough. I know I missed a lot, but there just wasn’t enough time and I arrived at RootsTech already tired.

However, the energy of RootsTech is like no place else and just infects you.

It’s like you can’t drink from the genealogy firehose fast enough!

Let’s Take a Walk

Ok, come along on a walk with me.

Left to right, Lianne Kruger, a speaker, and Courtney, in the FamilyTreeDNA booth. I believe they said they are cousins.

Daniel Horowitz, genealogist extraordinaire, in the MyHeritage booth. More about MyHeritage’s announcements shortly.

Geoff Rasmussen in the Legacy Family Tree Webinars booth. For those who don’t know, there’s lots of good material at Legacy, and the freshly recorded webinars are always free for a week.

Several vendors offer booth talks, including MyHeritage. I love their photo tools and use their site in some capacity almost daily.

One of the RootsTech traditions is ribbons. Collect one, collect ‘em all. Liv’s ribbons almost reach the floor. I think she wins!

Selfies are also a RootsTech tradition. Me, here with Jonny Perl of DNAPainter fame. I owe Jonny an apology as he asked me if I had a minute, and I had to say no because I was on the way to one of my own classes. I never got back to his booth to view his new features. Sorry Jonny – don’t take it personally!

Jonny released a new Ancestral tree version titled Places, so take a look here at his blog. I need to go look at my ancestors Places.

You’ll find this new feature under Ancestral Trees, Places. These are my most recent 8 generations. Just think of all those brave souls who climbed on a ship and sailed for the unknown. Check this feature out and have fun.

In a booth talk, Dave Vance, Executive Vice-President and General Manager at FamilyTreeDNA is speaking about the three types of DNA, which are, of course, Y-DNA, mitochondrial and autosomal DNA – all useful for genealogy in different ways.

Dave is explaining how in-common-with matches, also known as shared matches, operate with the chromosome browser. You can use the chromosome browser, shared matches, the new Matrix Tool, and download your match segment information at FamilyTreeDNA, a combination of features not available at any other vendor.

WikiTree, a free a moderated one-world-tree is one of my favorite genealogy tools. One of their best features is that you find your ancestor, and in addition to lots of sources, their Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and those who are related autosomally are listed. Here’s my grandfather, for example.

Several DNA connections are listed. The further back in my tree, the more DNA connections are found, becuase those ancestors have more descendants.

WikiTree volunteers were wandering around taking pictures of “WikiTreers” holding fun signs.

Paul Woodbury, a long time researcher with Legacy Tree Genealogists, who specializes in DNA. I don’t take private clients anymore, and regularly refer people to Legacy Tree.

Me with Janine Cloud taking our annual RootsTech selfie. Janine, the Group Projects Manager at FamilyTreeDNA and I co-administer one of those projects and accidentally discovered a few years ago that we are cousins too. How fun is this!!!

I wanted this shirt, but by the time I got back to the booth, it was too late. I’m going to order it online from Carlisle Creations, in case you want one too. This is so me.

Land records are critically important to genealogists. Rebecca Whitman’s class was about plotting land plats. What she’s holding is a surveyor’s chain. You’ve read about chain carriers? This is what they carried to measure land boundaries – literally metes and bounds. Some of my best discoveries have been thanks to land records.

The only session I actually got to attend was Gilad Japhet’s “What’s New and Exciting at MyHeritage.” For those who don’t know, Gilad is the founder and CEO of MyHeritage and it’s always great to hear about the new features straight from the top executive who is, himself, a seasoned genealogist. That’s why he started MyHeritage in the first place – 22 years ago in his living room.

Gilad had several wonderful announcements, but the one I’m most excited about is their new Cousin Finder. Cousin Finder finds and reveals cousins who are DNA candidates if they have not yet taken a DNA test.

I’ll be writing more about the MyHeritage announcements soon, but you can read their blog about Cousin Finder now, here, and their Roundup here about the rest of their announcements!

My Last Class – Reveal Your Maternal Ancestors & Their Stories

My last class at the end of the final day of RootsTech was “Reveal Your Maternal Ancestors & Their Stories – Solving Mitochondrial DNA Puzzles.”

Had I tried to coordinate this presentation with International Women’s Day, I could never have done it, but fate winked and here I was.

I’m often asked what it’s like from the presenters’ perspective. This is one of the smaller ballrooms. My earlier sessions were in larger rooms, maybe 3 times this size. I took this picture about 15 minutes before the session started as people were beginning to drift in.

The amazing RootsTech techs had me wired up to microphones and had verified that the audio and video equipment was working correctly, so now it was just waiting.

My cousin, John Payne, who co-administers the Speaks surname project with me, came by and took this great picture of the two of us. We’ve made huge inroads connecting the various Speake(s) lines in America, plus finally proving our home village in England, thanks to the Big Y-700 test, followed by church records. All is takes, sometimes, is that one critical match.

As I sat there, waiting to begin the mitochondrial DNA session, I couldn’t help but reflect upon all of the women who came before me and how fortunate I was to have been in the right place at the right time to be a member of the Million Mito team.

These are my direct matrilineal ancestors who give me, and my daughter, pictured at left, their mitochondrial DNA. I felt them with me as I sat there, waiting.

The woman at furthest right, Barbara Drechsel (1848-1930), immigrated to Indiana from Germany as a child with her parents in the 1850s. Before her came thousands of generations of women with no photos, of course, and no names before Barbara Freiberger, another eight generations earlier, born about 1621 in Germany.

Before that, which was before church and other records, prior to the 30 Years War, this lineage came from Scandinavia where some of my exact matches are still found today.

Before beginning, I said a positive affirmation and thanked my ancestors – so very honored to introduce them. I know they were proud of me, a member of the team that opened the door to the distant past. I wouldn’t be here if not for every one of their lives.

In this session, I would discuss, for the first time ever, the new Mitotree and my/our connection to all of humanity some 7000 generations ago, more or less.

The mutations we carry over those generations form an unbroken chain of breadcrumbs, connecting us to mitochondrial Eve who lived about 145,000 years ago. We revealed that breakthrough finding in the Haplogroup L7 paper, published in 2022.

I’m still in absolute awe that we have been able to both reach that far back in time AND, at the same time, make the newest haplogroups and haplotype clusters genealogically relevant. I will write more about that soon, but for now, I wrote about the Mitotree release here and you can find articles by Katy Rowe-Schurwanz here and here.

I’m very excited about my new mitochondrial DNA results for my ancestral lines that I track and have already made headway on several.

I’m not the only one.

Not only was I excited about my results, many other people have had breakthroughs too, including Mark Thompson, one of our genealogy AI experts who also spoke at RootsTech. I particularly love his AI generated image.

If you haven’t yet, check your mitochondrial DNA results.

It’s a Wrap

Another year done, another RootsTech under our belts. Hopefully everyone is over the “conference crud” by now and are busily applying their newfound knowledge.

You can view either live-cast sessions or RootsTech webinars, here.

I saw a meme posted sometime during the conference that coined the term “exhausterwhelmulated,” a combination of exhausted, overwhelmed and overstimulated at the same time.

I added exhilarated and elated to the mix and asked ChatGPT to draw me a picture of someone at a genealogy conference feeling those simultaneous emotions.

ChatGPT titled this request “Genealogy Conference Overload,” which made me laugh.

The first two attempts looked like the person had a headache, which I fully understood, so I asked ChatGPT to make the person look happy to be there.

This person, carrying a coffee like I often do, looks like they have just discovered the great irony that they have chased the wrong ancestor for some 20 years – with “laugh or I’ll cry” mania being their overwhelm “go to” in that minute.

This one made me laugh too!

Yes, indeed, I think every single one of us, especially at RootsTech, has experienced this exact adrenaline-fueled emotion.

We leave with a VERY long to-do list, exhausted but full of anticipation and buoyed by excitement. Filled with so much gratitude for our cousins and fellow genealogists, the speakers, vendors, DNA to solve thorny problems, new tools and records, FamilySearch who sponsors RootsTech itself and their amazing employees, plus the legions of the volunteers who make it all work.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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Mitotree is Born

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Mitotree is born and I can hardly contain my excitement.

The Million Mito R&D team members, along with many others at FamilyTreeDNA, are proud to introduce the new Mitotree and mtDNA Discover, which were brought to life thanks to one pivotal entrepreneurial figure, Bennett Greenspan, whose support and vision set the ball in motion and made Mitotree possible.

Left to right, the Million Mito science team is:

  • Goran Runfeldt, Head of R&D at FamilyTreeDNA
  • Dr. Paul Maier, Senior Population Geneticist at FamilyTreeDNA
  • Roberta Estes, DNAexplain, scientist, blogger, author, genetic genealogist, and Genographic Affiliate Researcher
  • Dr. Miguel Vilar, Genetic Anthropologist, Lead Scientist with the Genographic Project, and Professor at the University of Maryland
  • Bennett Greenspan, President Emeritus of FamilyTreeDNA, and avid genealogist
  • John Detsikas, Front End Developer who is responsible for the user interface for both Y-DNA Discover and now mtDNA Discover

The Million Mito Project Inception

The Million Mito Project was launched at RootsTech 2020 and encouraged people to test their mitochondrial DNA, both for their genealogy and to help build the database. More than a million samples were candidates, but only high-quality, full sequence results were used. In the process of building the tree, additional samples were incorporated from other public sources for tree construction.

Drum Roll – The Mitotree

A beta version of the Mitotree is being released today, and boy, is this a big deal.

Before we discuss the rest of what’s coming, I need to mention that the Mitotree is now evergreen, meaning that the tree will be updated periodically, as will mtDNA Discover. This lifetime value is included with the cost of your test, so there’s nothing more to purchase.

Haplogroups will change from time to time, as the tree does, so don’t fall in love with yours, and definitely, no tattoos😊

I’m going to be speaking in terms of “we,” meaning the Million Mito team who built the Mitotree and mtDNA Discover, plus an amazing team of FamilyTreeDNA folks who were absolutely essential in getting this out the door and to you.

The Mitotree is new from the ground up, and yes, haplogroup naming consistency with PhyloTree has been maintained where possible.

One of the unanticipated challenges we encountered was that the 2016 PhyloTree had to be recreated, essentially reverse engineered, to determine the rules they used regarding mutations for haplogroup creation. In other words, which mutations were valid and reliable, which weren’t, determining their relative importance, and so forth.

After the existing 2016 tree was recreated, the next hurdle to overcome was that none of the existing phylogenetic software used in academia would scale from 24,000 samples and 5500 subclades to more than a quarter million samples and 40,000 haplogroups, so that software had to be designed and written by R&D team members.

More information about this process will be forthcoming shortly, and a paper will be published with our methodology, but for right now, let’s look at the user experience and what’s being released now.

Here’s what’s coming today and over the next few days.

The beta Mitotree includes:

  • Over 40,000 branches
  • Over 250,000 mtFull Sequences from FTDNA
  • Over 10,000 third-party full sequences from GenBank, 1000 Genomes, etc.
  • Over 1000 Ancient Connections
  • Over 100 Notable Connections

More is on the way.

The new Mitotree is the tree provided in several formats within mtDNA Discover. You can view the public version of the tree, here, or sign on to your FamilyTreeDNA account and click through from your dashboard to see more.

Today’s Releases

The Mitotree doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so several updates and new features will be rolling out today.

  • mtDNA Discover, which includes the new Mitotree
  • New customer haplogroups for those who have taken mtFull sequence tests
  • New mtDNA matches page

New Haplogroups

New haplogroups have been calculated for FamilyTreeDNA customers who have taken the full sequence test. Those who have taken only the HVR1 or HVR1/HVR2 tests are encouraged to upgrade to the full sequence test.

Not everyone will receive a new Mitotree haplogroup that is different from their classic haplogroup, but most people will. Your original haplogroup is displayed with the classic tag, and the new Mitotree haplogroup with the beta tag.

If your classic and Mitotree haplogroups are the same, it means that either you have no more private variants (mutations) available to form a new haplogroup, or no one else from your lineage has tested yet.

New mtDNA Matches Page

If you click on your mtDNA matches, you’ll notice that the page has been redesigned to look and function like the other FamilyTreeDNA match pages.

If you click to view your matches, you’ll be able to view both the “old” classic haplogroup, and your matches’ new Mitotree haplogroup, plus a new haplotype if they have one. We will talk about haplotypes in a minute.

The people you match are the same as before, but matches may be recalculated in the future.

If you click through to the new mtDNA Discover from your dashboard, you’ll be able to view the public portion of mtDNA Discover, plus the additional customized information provided to FamilyTreeDNA mtFull sequence customers.

mtDNA Discover

If you have taken a full sequence test, sign on to your account to view your new haplogroup, then click on the new mtDNA Discover icon on your dashboard.

If you haven’t taken the mtFull sequence test, but the partial HVR1 or HVR2 versions, you can still view mtDNA Discover on your dashboard, but without the mtFull customization.

Customization that occurs exclusively for FamilyTreeDNA mtFull sequence customers includes:

  • Most detailed placement of your branch on Mitotree
  • Haplotype clusters
  • Additional Ancient Connections
  • Additional Notable Connections
  • The Match Time Tree
  • Globetrekker™ (coming soon)
  • The Group Time Tree (coming soon)

mtDNA Discover is similar to Y-DNA Discover.

You’ll be able to view a dozen new reports about your haplogroup in addition to the tools provided on your dashboard.

The new Mitotree can be viewed in several formats, each with its unique benefit.

  1. Time Tree – a genetic tree that shows when each haplogroup was formed, plus a country flag for where present-day testers report as the location of their earliest known ancestor (EKA)
  2. Classic Tree – a more traditional view of a phylogenetic tree, including the number of testers on each branch, the variants, or mutations that define the haplogroup, the era and approximate date of formation, and other details about the tree topology
  3. Scientific Details Variants Tab – shows the variants that differ in each haplogroup as you reach back in time
  4. Ancestral Path for the selected haplogroup – outlines your path back to early humans, including Denisovans.
  5. Match Time Tree for you and your matches (must be signed in to your account and click on mtDNA Discover icon)
  6. Group Time Tree (coming soon) for those who have joined projects

Match Time Tree

The Match Time Tree is extremely useful because it overlays your matches, plus their earliest known ancestors (EKA), on a genetic Time Tree, by haplogroup and haplotype, so you can see how you may be related, and when.

You can also see your matches that have now fallen into neighboring haplogroups, which suggests that they probably aren’t as genealogically close as people in your haplogroup. However, that’s not always the case, because mutations can occur at any time.

Haplotype Clusters

A haplotype cluster is a new concept introduced specifically for genealogists with the new Mitotree. Haplotypes are identified by numbered “F” groups. Three are shown, below.

There may be groups of people within a haplogroup that have exactly the same mutations, or genetic signature, and no additional mutations. Still, they may not form a new haplogroup. There could be several reasons for not forming a new haplogroup, including known SNP locations where mutations occur that are known to be unstable, such as location  315, which tends to accumulate random insertions and is ignored because of its known instability.

When multiple people share an exactly identical signature, meaning all of the same mutations, they are shown within a haplotype “F” cluster to provide additional specificity to the tree.

The haplotype has been designed to provide additional granularity to the tree and genealogically relevant information. The haplotype “Fxxxxxx” numbers are randomly generated and have no special meaning.

A word of caution here. While the haplotype sequences are identical, it is still possible that another tester from outside the cluster could be a closer relative. For example, they could have accumulated a fast mutating SNP in the last few generations, which would give them a different signature.

Someone who is actually genealogically close to you may be in a different haplotype, or no haplotype at all because no one matches them exactly. For example, if your aunt or sister has a heteroplasmy, they are a close relative and will be in your haplogroup, but won’t be in your haplotype cluster because of the heteroplasmy. So don’t ignore matches who aren’t in your haplotype.

In the above example, under haplogroup V71b, there is one group of three people of unknown origin, meaning they didn’t enter any location for their earliest known ancestor, plus haplotype F9712482 – all of whom are identical matches to each other, but don’t form a new haplogroup.

Beneath V71b is haplogroup V71b1 with nine people, plus two haplotype clusters. F1965416 consists of two people, and F8189900 consists of 16 people.

You can also see haplotype clusters bracketed on any of the Time Trees in mtDNA Discover as well.

More to Come

There’s more information to come in the next few days and weeks, and at RootsTech. I’ll be writing articles when I get back.

For now, take a look to see if you have a new haplogroup. The new haplogroup rollout is being staggered, and you should receive an email when yours has been posted. But there’s no need to wait. Go ahead, sign in and check now, check out mtDNA Discover, and have fun.

Guaranteed, you’ll learn something new, and you may discover the key to a new ancestor!

Resources

Here are additional resources about the new Mitotree, mtDNA Discover, and the associated updates:

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Lineages Versus Ancestors – How to Find and Leverage Yours

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Today, we’ll explore how a single direct test can uncover insights into an entire ancestral lineage, shifting our focus from individual ancestors to the broader concept of lineages.

When we work with either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA, we’re using a type of DNA that is specific to one ancestral line – or lineage. However, it’s not limited to just one ancestor. In fact, it applies to many.

Autosomal DNA, on the other hand, can be and is inherited from multiple ancestral lines. Of course, autosomal DNA is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle because YOU have to figure out WHICH line is the source of your match to someone.

You don’t have to do that with Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, plus, there’s a LOT more information available about both of those types of DNA.

Inheritance – How Parts of Your Ancestors Descend to You

I’ve put together a chart to explain the difference in the amount of autosomal DNA that you inherit from your ancestors versus the amount of either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that you inherit from specific lineages of ancestors.

Generation Autosomal Ancestors % DNA # Ancestors Y (males) & mtDNA Ancestors – %
7 GGGG-grandparents 1.5625 64 1 – 100%
6 GGG-grandparents 3.125 32 1 – 100%
5 GG-grandparents 6.25 16 1 – 100%
4 Great-grandparents 12.5 8 1 – 100%
3 Grandparents 25 4 1 – 100%
2 Parents 50 2 1 – 100%
1 You 100 1 – 100%

If you look at the amount of autosomal DNA inherited from each ancestor back seven generations, with you as the first generation, you’ll see that, on average, each of your GGGG-grandparents contributes 1.5625% of their DNA to you. In some cases, you might receive none at all, and in other cases, you might receive more – thanks to the uncertainty of recombination in each generation which I explained, here.

That’s not the case, though, for either Y-DNA (for males) or mitochondrial DNA for everyone. You always inherit 100% of the mitochondrial DNA carried by the entire lineage of your direct maternal line ancestors. Males always inherit 100% of the Y chromosome of their direct paternal line ancestors. Neither type of DNA is divided, recombined, or washed out over the generations. With the exception of an occasional mutation, the Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA that your most distant ancestor in that line inherited is exactly what you receive.

Everyone can test their mitochondrial DNA, and males can take the Y-DNA test. Women give their mitochondrial DNA to both sexes of their children, but only females pass it on.

While you can only test for your own direct lines, you can test other people for their lineages which are also your ancestors.

Test Family Members

By testing family members who descend appropriately, you can obtain that same information for any ancestor.

For example, your father can test his mitochondrial DNA to receive the mitochondrial DNA information for his mother’s direct matrilineal line, or lineage. If you’re a female, having your father test both his Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA provides you with valuable information about two ancestral lines that you can’t obtain from your own DNA.

Your mother’s brothers (or paternal uncles) can test their Y-DNA for your mother’s father’s line, and so forth.

Y-DNA is always the direct patrilineal line for males, and mitochondrial DNA is always the direct matrilineal line for everyone, so males can provide the DNA for both types of DNA for their ancestors. Men carry both types of DNA, the Y-DNA of their father and the mitochondrial DNA of their mother.

Lineages

The great news is that once you obtain that information by locating an appropriate tester, it’s conclusive in the sense that you typically don’t need to find someone else in that line to test – especially if they match someone else who descends from an ancestor in that same line. I say typically because, especially with Y-DNA, you may well want to test multiple men in different generations to track mutations that identify twigs and even leaves on their haplotree branch.

Essentially, both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA represent entire lineages, not just individual ancestors.

Once you obtain that information, you can:

  • Identify ancestors further back in time
  • Confirm lineages
  • Disprove lineages
  • Learn when your common ancestors with other testers lived
  • Learn where your ancestors and their ancestors lived
  • Discover which ancient and notable people you’re related to
  • Utilize match maps
  • And more

Click on any image to enlarge

There’s an entire world of information just waiting to be revealed – beyond matching for both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA and the half dozen great tools provided on your dashboard at FamilyTreeDNA.

The free Discover tool (currently for Y-DNA but very soon for mitochondrial too) provides a dozen extra reports. Between your dashboard reports and the Discover reports, there are about 20 chapters to your lineage story waiting for you.

There’s even a customized Discover experience for Big Y-DNA testers and full sequence mitochondrial DNA testers.

If you take the Big Y-700 test or the full sequence mitochondrial DNA test, your Discover experience includes:

  • Globetrekker
  • More Ancient Connections
  • More Notable Connections
  • The Match Time Tree
  • If you join projects, the Project Time Tree

For my Estes research, the Match Time Tree and Project Time Trees have been critically important.

Time Trees provide a genetic structure for how you and your matches are related over time. In the Match Time Tree above, you can see how my cousin is related to his matches, and when important branching of the tree that defines lineages occurred. The earliest known ancestors (EKA), provided by testers, are shown as well. This branching information correlated within 25 years of the births of the ancestors whose DNA split those branches.

For example, the mutation, R-ZS3700 was formed when Moses Estes was born in 1711 and was then passed to his descendants. If you test as a member of haplogroup R-ZS3700, we know you descend from Moses Estes. Some of his descendants have downstream haplogroups too, such as R-BY154184.

The Group Time Tree shows the same type of things but for members within Group Projects.

It’s truly exciting what lineage tests can reveal and how they can demolish brick walls.

Finding Testers

After you’ve exhausted your supply of close family members, then known aunts, uncles and cousins, how do you find testers to represent your lineages?

Most of us don’t know our third or fourth cousins, but they may carry that golden DNA that represents that entire lineage.

I’ve written about using both Relatives at RootsTech and WikiTree to find people who descend appropriately from the line you seek, but you’ll be most productive if you get organized first.

Let’s begin with organizing your lineages. Since this type of DNA is passed through that entire line of ancestors, you want to have those ancestors gathered together so it’s easy to find someone who has descended from any of those ancestors in that lineage appropriately.

For Y-DNA, that means each direct male line, and for mitochondrial DNA, that means every matrilineal line.

Lineage Spreadsheet

In my Ancestor Birthday Spreadsheet, where I track pertinent information about each of my ancestors individually, one row per ancestor, I created a lineage sheet for mitochondrial DNA and another one for Y-DNA. If you don’t want to create a spreadsheet, you can always make a chart or list.

It’s easier to recognize Y-DNA testing candidates because the surname (generally or often) doesn’t change.

Surnames generally do change in each generation in mitochondrial lineages.

Everyone can test their own mitochondrial DNA, so let me start with the tester (me) as an example. If I test my mitochondrial DNA, the results automatically apply to my ancestors in my direct matrilineal line – or lineage.

So, one test represents a dozen of my direct-line maternal ancestors. Your test represents however many ancestors you have on your direct matrilineal lineage.

Beginning with my mother, I’ve been able to track my matrilineal line beyond the six generations shown in my desktop genealogy software.

For purposes of clarity, while only six generations are displayed here, the entire lineage continues with Anna Elisabetha Mehlheimer on the next page. That line includes each female, mother-to-mother, as far back as I can go, consisting of all 12 generations.

I’ve entered all of those ancestors into their generational position in the first row on the Lineage Spreadsheet that begins with me.

Click any image to enlarge

The entire spreadsheet looks like these first few rows. I don’t expect you to read the small print. I just want you to get the idea so that you can follow the process.

The entire mitochondrial lineage of each “first of line” ancestor is shown in the “Upstream” generation columns at right. In other words, the person closest to current in the lineage is listed by last and first name (me), and all of their mitochondrial lineage ancestors are shown to their right.

My mother, Barbara Jean Ferverda is shown in the column “Upstream 1”, because she is one generation upstream from me, or the ancestor listed at far left. “Upstream 2” is her mother, Edith Barbara Lore, and so forth.

The haplogroup, once discovered, applies to ALL of those people – the entire lineage. Those ancestors don’t need to be shown on the spreadsheet again because you’ve checked them off the list when you find someone to represent all of them. Of course, in this case, that person is me.

My mitochondrial DNA represents 12 known generations, and countless unknown ones, some of which may yet be discovered. But there are other lineages that I need to discover that I can’t personally test for.

Identifying Lineages That You Need

I created this fan chart in my genealogy software and placed a red star for each pink mitochondrial DNA line that I need – beginning with the “first of line” ancestor. For example, Ollie Bolton is my “first of line” ancestor whose mitochondrial DNA represents all of her direct-line matrilineal ancestors.

Of course, each generation back in time provides more ancestors whose DNA we need – including each male who carries the mitochondrial DNA of his mother.

By the way, if I only have a partial haplogroup from either an autosomal test that provides base haplogroups, or a predicted haplogroup from an older HVR1 or HVR1/2 test, I leave them in the “need” category. In other words, I’m still seeking a full-sequence tester.

I started with each female in my tree and created their lineage backward in my spreadsheet.

More Distant Ancestors in Your Tree

My genealogy software shows a maximum of 6 generations on one page.

When I reached the point in my tree where I needed to go to the “next page,” other lineages began there. I began losing my place, so I color-coded the lineages in my spreadsheet so I could identify them at a glance. Additionally, the red-colored text indicates that the line begins with a female, and the black text means that the line “bookmark” begins with that man’s mother. Remember, every man had a mother whose mitochondrial DNA we need as part of that family’s story.

The “bookmark” ancestor is the person where I was when I advanced to the next “page” in my genealogy software, so I don’t lose my place.

You can see that Johanna Fredericka Ruhle is the bookmark ancestor for Maria Margaretha Krafft. Johanna Ruhle’s direct line is listed in the Upstream columns for her, and Maria Margaretha Krafft’s direct line is listed in the upstream columns for her. Please note that Maria Margaretha Krafft is NOT in the direct matrilineal line for Johanna Ruhle, but a different lineage that I need.

In my desktop genealogy software, Johanna Fredericka Ruhle is the last person in her line on page one. She’s the bookmark that leads to the next page, so I need to begin with her on page 2.

Now Johanna is the first person on the next page, with her pedigree chart showing. You can see that Johanna’s OWN mitochondrial lineage continues through Margaretha Kurtz (red arrow), but this page also includes 11 NEW mitochondrial lineages that begin with a female in each line.

Maria Margaretha Krafft’s lineage is labeled as #11 here.

If your bookmark or “page turn” individual is a male, then he goes in your bookmark field so you can figure out how to get that lineage in the first place. Bookmarks are kind of like breadcrumbs.

You don’t need to worry about “page 2” and more distant if you are just beginning.

However, this process will encourage you to check each end-of-line individual. As you search, you’ll know that when you find descendants of any one of these people, their mitochondrial DNA test will represent all of the ancestors in that entire lineage.

Find One, Get the Entire Dozen! BOG12

BOGO might be an American saying, and it means Buy One Get One, so essentially two for the price of one. In my case, it was buy one test, get information for 12 ancestors, or BOG12.

So, find one tester/haplogroup and get that information for the entire lineage! In my case, I got 12 for the price of one.

In Johanna Fredericka Ruhle’s case, she is the grandmother of Evaline Miller, my mother’s grandmother. Evaline Miller’s line includes 8 generations, so when I found someone who carried Evaline’s mitochondrial DNA, it applied to all 8 generations of her direct matrilineal ancestors – BOG8. The great news is that it doesn’t have to come from a descendant of Evaline herself, it can come from a direct female descendant of, say, Margaret Elisabeth Lentz, or her mother, Johanna Fredericka Ruhle – or more distant in the tree.

More distant ancestors may have more descendants that carry their Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA.

You can see that in my desktop software (and only there,) I’ve added Evaline’s mitochondrial haplogroup as a middle name. I don’t ever do this in a public tree because it confuses the search algorithm. Besides that, haplogroup names evolve and change over time as the phylogenetic trees become more specific.

Follow That Line

For purposes of this exercise, let’s use one of my lineages to see if I can find someone who descends appropriately from either that ancestor, through all females to the current generation, or from any of her matrilineal ancestors upstream.

Let’s use Curtis Benjamin Lore’s mother as an example. His mother was Rachel Levina Hill, so that lineage begins with her since only females pass mitochondrial DNA to their offspring.

I’m going to search for someone who carries the mitochondrial DNA of Rachel.

Rachel is the fourth generation back from me, and according to my lineage spreadsheet, there are a total of 11 generations from me to the last person in her direct mitochondrial lineage.

  • Rachel Levina Hill – (born 1815 Addison Co., VT, died after 1870 Warren Co., PA, married Antoine “Anthony” Lore)
  • Abigail “Nabby” Hall – (born 1792 Mansfield City, Tolland Co., CT, died 1874 Waukegan, Lake Co., IL, married Joseph Hill)
  • Dorcas Richardson – (born 1769 Willington, Tolland Co., CT, died c 1840 Addison Co., VT, married Gershom Hall)
  • Dorcas Eldredge – (born 1739 Mansfield City, Tolland Co., CT, died 1772 Willington, Tolland Co., CT, married James Richardson)
  • Abigail Smith – (born 1718 Massachusetts, died 1793 Willington, Tolland Co., CT, married Jesse Eldredge)
  • Abigail Freeman – (born 1693 Eastham, Barnstable Co., MA, died 1737 Wellfleet, Barnstable Co., MA, married Samuel Smith)
  • Mary Howland – (born 1665 Dartmouth, RI, died 1743 Eastham, Barnstable Co., MA, married Nathaniel Freeman)
  • Abigail (surname unknown) – (born about 1635, married October 1656 to Zoeth Howland)

In order to obtain Rachel Levina Hill’s mitochondrial DNA, I need to find someone who descends from either her or her matrilineal lineage ancestors through all females to the current generation, which can be male. Women give their mitochondrial DNA to both sexes of their children, but only females pass it on.

In order to be “safe,” meaning less likelihood of a genealogical error, I prefer to find two descendants through different children who match each other. However, to begin, I’m always happy to locate any one descendant. They may match someone from this line who has already tested.

This is a good place to insert a cautionary note about the accuracy of other people’s genealogy. Always verify as best you can that the person you’re relying on for a critical test actually descends appropriately from the ancestor whose DNA you seek.

Autosomal Match List

When searching for testers, I always check my own autosomal match list first to be sure someone with that surname or who descends from that ancestor isn’t already lurking there. That includes both ThruLines at Ancestry and Theories of Family Relativity at MyHeritage.

It’s not always easy to tell because, at most vendors, you can’t search for (mitochondrial or other) matches by ancestor.

However, I enter the various surnames, beginning with the closest first, to see if maybe the right person is already there. The further back in time, the less likely you’ll have an autosomal match from any ancestor.

After you view one of your matches’ trees and determine that they are NOT an appropriate tester for what you seek, be sure to make a note on that match so you don’t check over and over again. You can make notes at every vendor on your matches.

FamilyTreeDNA Projects

If you’re searching for a particular surname, especially a Y-DNA lineage, checking the surname Group Projects at FamilyTreeDNA is always a wonderful first step to see if someone has already tested.

You can check group projects for surnames here.

Unfortunately, due to generational surname changes, surname projects often aren’t relevant to mitochondrial DNA lineages, although there are some lineage projects. If your ancestor is connected to a particular group of people, like the Acadians, for example, you can search or browse that group. The Acadian project and some others have both mitochondrial DNA and Y-DNA pages.

The Group Project search results will show any project where the administrators have entered that surname as potentially of interest to that specific project, so always check that resource.

WikiTree

Next, I go to WikiTree. If someone enters their mitochondrial DNA information, WikiTree propagates it through the tree to the appropriate descendants and ancestors. I love this feature.

Let’s see what we find for Rachel Levina Hill.

Look here!!!

Tim Prince has entered his mitochondrial DNA haplogroup, which was automatically associated with Rachel. It’s my lucky day. She is haplogroup H2a2a1e.

I can click through to Tim and view his tree.

Sure enough, Tim’s ancestor is Bathshua Smith, the sister to my Abigail Smith, four generations upstream from Rachel Levina Hill.

How cool is this?!!!

If no one is listed for Rachel’s mitochondrial DNA, I can click on the Descendants link on any ancestor, then click on DNA Descendants.

Next, click on which type of DNA you’re looking for.

At this point, I’d suggest contacting the profile owner or checking your autosomal matches for people with these surnames—in this case, Wickwire or Chain. You can also view the entire descendants list, which I’ve truncated here for brevity.

Relatives at RootsTech

While you can check WikiTree anytime, you can only access Relatives at RootsTech for a short time, typically about a month before and after RootsTech  – which means right now. Signing up for free virtual attendance works just fine as your key to accessing Relatives at RootsTech.

I wrote about Relatives at RootsTech here. Once you’re set up, you can access your list of cousins attending RootsTech by:

  • Location
  • Ancestor
  • Family Line

By selecting “Ancestor,” I can see who is attending that descends from Rachel Hill, according to the FamilySearch tree. Scanning further down the list, I see her mother, Abigail “Nabby” Hall. Two people descend from Rachel, while 3 descend from Abigail.

By clicking on “Relationship,” you can see how you and that person are related. In this case, what I’m really interested in is how they descend from Rachel Lavina Hill.

Rachel contributed her mitochondrial DNA to her son, William, but he didn’t pass it on, so that mitochondrial DNA line stops right there. If it hadn’t stopped there, it would have stopped a few generations later with another male – Gladys’s son.

Any male in the line is a blocker for mitochondrial DNA, unless it’s a current generation tester who descends from all females.

Sometimes, when the line is interrupted by a male in the last couple of generations, it’s worth reaching out to that cousin to see if they know of anyone who descends appropriately. Ask if the last female in the line has daughters or sons who are still living and might be willing to test – or if their daughters had children and so forth.

Each Relatives at RootsTech selection shows a maximum of 300 people, but you can choose the applicable grandparent’s family line to see 300 people in that line. You’ll need to click through each person to see how they descend, but that’s fine because you have 300 opportunities for success!!

Check back, too, because more people register up to and even during RootsTech.

Create Those Lineage Spreadsheets

Now, we’re back to why creating those lineage spreadsheets is essential. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember exactly how family members descend from each other beyond 3 or 4 generations.

I actually need a tester from my paternal grandmother’s line, so I’m focusing on that line for this next example.

When I look at the list of who is related to me through my paternal grandmother’s line, I want that spreadsheet readily available, so I know precisely which lineages I need to find cousins to test for both Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA.

I have a partial haplogroup for Ollie Bolton based on a very old HVR1 test. There is no DNA left to upgrade, and the tester is deceased, so I need to find someone else.

I’ve made a list of all of the women in that lineage. Unfortunately, it’s pretty short.

  1. Ollie Florence Bolton – (1874 born Hancock Co., TN, died 1955 in Chicago, married William George Estes)
  2. Margaret N. Claxton or Clarkson – (1851-1920 Hancock Co., TN, married Joseph Bolton)
  3. Elizabeth “Bettie Ann” Speaks – (1832 Lee County Va, died 1907 Hancock Co., TN, married Samuel Claxton/Clarkson)
  4. Ann McKee – (1804/5 Washington Co., VA, died 1840/1850 Lee Co., VA, married Charles Speak)
  5. Elizabeth (surname unknown) – (born about 1768, died 1839 Washington Co., VA, married Andrew McKee)

I’m brick-walled, so if I can obtain Ollie’s mitochondrial DNA, through matching, I may be able to identify Elizabeth, Ollie’s great-great-grandmother. This line is one of my most frustrating, and mitochondrial DNA testing and matching hold a lot of promise for giving Elizabeth a surname and parents.

I’ve already checked my matches and WikiTree, so I’m going to see if any of the “Family Line” Relatives at RootsTech descend through all females.

I have 300 opportunities to find a tester.

As more people sign up, the most distant cousins will roll off the list, so start at the bottom.

Cross your fingers for me!

DNA Testing Scholarships

If I find someone, the first thing I’ll ask is if they have taken any kind of DNA test. If so, where? Then, I’ll ask if they have taken a mitochondrial DNA test at FamilyTreeDNA and explain why that’s important and what it can potentially do for us.

If yes, I’m golden because the next question will be about their haplogroup, and I’ll invite them to join a project that I manage so I can view the results.

If the answer is no, but they’ve tested their autosomal DNA elsewhere, I’ll invite them to upload for free and join the project. You can also establish a private family project for this purpose, if you wish.

I tell them I have a DNA testing scholarship for someone who carries that DNA lineage. I explain that with the scholarship, the test is entirely free, including postage, and that they’re in complete control of their kit and results. All I ask is some level of access.

I always explain the results when they arrive. I’ve never had anyone object to this arrangement, and often we research collaboratively. I’ve met wonderful cousins this way.

Get Started!

Whose Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA do you need to find?

Make your lineage spreadsheet or chart, and take this opportunity to find a testing candidate and learn more about your ancestors! Not just one at a time, but entire lineages.

They are waiting for you!

_____________________________________________________________

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If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

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Welcome to 2025! – Opportunities and New Genetic Genealogy Articles

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It’s a new year with new opportunities. Lots of ancestors to find and others to confirm.

For me, the best part is actually learning about my ancestors’ lives. If you’re a subscriber, I’m sure you’ve already noticed that.

These adventures and misadventures are what inspire my blog articles. What works well, what doesn’t and how to use multiple tools to unveil more about our ancestors.

That’s what motivates me. I hope it motivates you, too.

New Articles in the Works

I’d like to share some of the articles and educational events I have planned for 2025, then ask what topics you’d like to see.

Articles on the drawing board include:

  • MyHeritage DNA File Download Instructions Update
  • Mitotree – when released
  • Mitochondrial Discover – when released
  • Genealogy Proof Series – The series continues with autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA proof.
  • The Forest of the Trees – Lots of different kinds of trees for both Y and mitochondrial DNA at FamilyTreeDNA. How to use them, for what, and when. This will probably be written as a series.
  • New features and developments from vendors as they occur
  • Acadian Ancestors – I hope to complete my Acadian 52 Ancestors articles. For those who don’t know, “52 Ancestors” is a challenge to write about one ancestor each week for a year. You can sign up with Amy Johnson Crow here to learn more and receive weekly prompts. It’s fun and allows you to focus on one ancestor at a time, and the history that occurred in their lifetime.

Other Learning Opportunities

In addition to those articles, I’ll be at RootsTech in person presenting:

  • DNA Academy – the 2025 version, soup to nuts
  • DNA for Native American Genealogy
  • Reveal Your Maternal Ancestors and Their Stories Using Mitochondrial DNA
  • Guide to FamilyTreeDNA – Using Y-DNA, Mitochondrial DNA, Autosomal, X-DNA and Associated Tools

I’ll also participate in other educational events with Legacy Family Tree Webinars, WikiTree, the North Carolina Genealogy Society, and FamilyTreeDNA. I’ll provide more information about them later.

Finding Information

Remember, you can always use a keyword search on this blog to find any topic I’ve written about previously.

Also, Google’s AI has apparently trained itself using my blog articles, as have a couple of other AI tools. I know this because my blog comes up as a resource when I google questions. You can try that, too.

Your Turn – What Do You Want?

There are always new topics, new features, or different ways to explain things.

  • What would you like to see covered in 2025?
  • Are there any hot genetic genealogy topics that you’d love to learn more about?

Please make your suggestions in a comment on this article.

Here’s wishing you a wonderful 2025 with lots of ancestor discoveries.

_____________________________________________________________

Follow DNAexplain on Facebook, here.

Share the Love!

You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

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2024 Retrospective – Plus New Color Version of Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA

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I hope 2024 was a great year for you.

2024 was an amazing year that included the release of my new book, Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA, and two genealogy-focused trips. I was also able to use Y-DNA to extend multiple paternal lines and break down a mitochondrial brick wall. It hardly gets better than this, but I have a focus list for 2025 already – and I hope you do, too.

But before we move on to 2025, let’s take a look at what was popular in 2024. Did you miss anything? Now is a great time to review, and I’ve assembled a list of this year’s top ten articles for you.

2024 in Review

Each year, I look back at my blog’s end-of-year statistics to see which articles were the most popular. I published 75 articles in 2024, which is an article about every four and a half days.

The Top 10 List isn’t just compiled from this year’s new articles, but the top 10 articles read this year from all 1738 articles that I’ve published over the past 12.5 years. I’ve noted the publication year by the article name.

Four of this year’s top 10 also fall in the all-time top 10. Of course, articles that have been published longer have more time to accrue views.

Article 2024 All Time
Concepts – Calculating Ethnicity Percentages (2017) 1 2
442 Ancient Viking Skeletons Hold DNA Surprised – Does Your Y or Mitochondrial DNA Match? (2020) 2
Ancestral DNA Percentages – How Much of Them is in You? (2017) 3 5
Proving Native American Ancestry Using DNA (2012) 4 1
23andMe Trouble – Step-by-Step Instructions to Preserve Your Data and Matches (2024) 5
DNA Inherited from Grandparents and Great-Grandparents (2020) 6
Ancestry’s ThruLines and Shared Matches Now Require a Subscription (2024) 7
Native American Mitochondrial Haplogroups (2013) 8 10
FamilyTreeDNA Tree Integration with MyHeritage – Step-by-Step Instructions (2024) 9
Y-DNA: Step-by-Step Analysis (2020) 10

Consistently, Native American DNA, ethnicity, and inheritance prove to be overwhelmingly popular topics. This probably explains the success of my book, DNA for Native American Genealogy. It’s timeless, and there are always new people searching! Thank you to everyone who has purchased it.

Of course, articles about this year’s announcements in the genetic genealogy world are always popular. The articles that didn’t make the Top 10 List but are in the 11-20 category include articles from RootsTech, two more Native American articles,  determining full or half-siblings, pedigree collapse, the Washington family burial article, plus one about my Acadian ancestors and their DNA.

Thank you to everyone who subscribes, reads, and comments. Please share this article or site link with another genealogist who you think might benefit. As you know, it’s easy to subscribe and completely free.

You can also search for keywords in articles throughout the year to answer questions when you see them on social media or elsewhere. It’s easy and educational to post or send an article link.

Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA – Now Available in Color

Are you ready for a good laugh?

As I was reviewing these articles, I thought to myself, “where’s the announcement of the new color version of my book, “The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA”?

I literally forgot to publish that article. How could I?? I mean…seriously. (My excuse is that I was traveling, plus conferences and back-to-back hurricanes.)

So, here’s the (slightly late) mini-announcement.

Initially, in May, The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA was released in a full-color e-pub version, which is available from the publisher here. You can take a look at the table of contents here.

That was followed shortly by the release of the black and white print version, available in the US from the publisher, here, and worldwide from your country’s Amazon. Selling outside the US through Amazon removes the issues of expensive international shipping, VAT tax, and customs, which significantly increases the cost of the book and delays its delivery.

The decision was made to publish initially in black and white due to printing costs, but lots of people requested a color book.

For those who have already purchased the black-and-white version, the publisher has provided a free downloadable PDF with 26 of the most critical pages in color. We really had no idea that people would be eager to purchase a color version, but that has proven to be the case, and we didn’t want earlier purchasers to be disappointed.

Drum Roll

You spoke, and we listened.

In the fall, we released a full-color print-on-demand version of The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA. Again, in the US, the book is available from the publisher, here, and at Amazon elsewhere.

This book truly is comprehensive and includes both DNA education, along with how to use the FamilyTreeDNA tools, many of which are unique in the industry. For example, no other vendor offers either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA testing and matching.

You don’t know what you don’t know, and I encourage you to find out!

Thank You!

Thank you so much for your ongoing support. Twelve years strong, going on 13.

Be thinking about what you’d like to see in 2025, because I’m going to be asking you tomorrow!

_____________________________________________________________

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In case you were wondering, I never have nor ever will share or use your e-mail outside of the intended purpose.

_____________________________________________________________

Follow DNAexplain on Facebook, here.

Share the Love!

You’re always welcome to forward articles or links to friends and share on social media.

If you haven’t already subscribed (it’s free,) you can receive an e-mail whenever I publish by clicking the “follow” button on the main blog page, here.

You Can Help Keep This Blog Free

I receive a small contribution when you click on some of the links to vendors in my articles. This does NOT increase your price but helps me keep the lights on and this informational blog free for everyone. Please click on the links in the articles or to the vendors below if you are purchasing products or DNA testing.

Thank you so much.

DNA Purchases and Free Uploads

Genealogy Products and Services

My Books

Genealogy Books

Genealogy Research