You can now share your DNA results with collaborators at MyHeritage! MyHeritage has now added the much-needed option to seek advice and guidance from others, by securely sharing your DNA results with a collaborator. By inviting others to view your DNA results, and become a member of your family site on MyHeritage, collaboration has never been easier! Benefits to DNA Collaboration at MyHeritage
Who Can Collaborate with MyHeritage DNA Results
Learn more: New: Sharing DNA Results with a Collaborator More MyHeritage and Other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more MyHeritage and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
4 Comments
Ancestry has been slowly rolling over everyone, for quite a while now, who does not have a paid subscription to Ancestry or AncestryDNA to new, basic AncestryDNA features, now included with their DNA kits. Since it was little by little at the beginning, not all had noticed. They have now, officially, moved the majority of FREE DNA tools and features behind a paywall, making many quite unhappy. Just what can you get with the purchase of an AncestryDNA kit, now? What has moved over to their new, AncestryDNA Plus paywall, for those that had purchased their kits in the past? See the breakdown of just what’s behind this new paywall, below. Now ONLY Included with AncestryDNA Test Kit
Now Included ONLY with AncestryDNA Plus Membership
Now Included ONLY with Ancestry Family History Membership
And according to Ancestry, any that are associated with family trees or traits are subject to change and may require an Ancestry membership in the future. Food for thought (concerning both sides)
More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page
Ancestry's New AI Features for Your Family Tree and DNA Ancestry seems to be on a major roll right now, consistently churning out new features one on top of the other! They have just released 2 new AI features to enhance your family history and genealogy, 1 for your family tree, and one for your DNA! These new features are in BETA mode, which means not all may have it; they could tweak it, add to it, delete some of the questions or features; or they may decide to delete it all together. AI to Enhance Your Ancestor’s StoryLearn about your ancestor in a fun, engaging, and educational way with the new AI feature for your family tree! With the new feature, you can learn about birth, marriage, death, and residence events during your ancestors’ lives. Categories and Questions:
AI Ancestor Birth Questions SamplesAI Ancestor Marriage Questions SamplesAI Ancestor Death Questions SamplesAI Ancestor Residence Questions ExamplesHow to get to AncestryAI for Your Ancestor
*Note: Be careful using this info in a story, as some of the information is general for the area and not the specific period or vice versa. 😉 AI to Enhance Your DNA Story You can also learn about your estimated ethnic regions in a fun, engaging, and educational way with the new AI feature for your AncestryDNA! With this new feature, you can learn about daily life, common foods, notable historical figures, climate and geography, population movements, population, the people, and family life in each of your estimated ethnic regions! Categories and Questions:
How to Get to AncestryAI in AncestryDNA
Go in and see if you have these 2 new AI features; if you do, then have fun with it! More Ancestry and Genealogy Resources Learn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
AncestryDNA New DNA Communities Story Feature & Updated DNA Story! Ancestry has been upgrading their DNA Story this past week with lots of new updates! As mentioned last week, in Ancestry DNA Updates: New DNA Community Record Collections Feature!, they added a new DNA records collections feature to DNA communities, along with new ethnicity updates, and have now revamped it with a new look, while adding animation, stories, and more! What’s New at AncestryDNA
New Background Color Toggle & Ethnicity ColorsNew Animated DNA Communities Maps & Timeline StoriesMore Ancestry and Genealogy Resources:
Learn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page. Ancestry Updates: DNA Community Record Collections Feature!Going into Ancestry the other day, I noticed that not only did Ancestry update DNA ethnicity estimates again but added a new feature in AncestryDNA as well, DNA Community Record Collections! Right now, by going through the long list of DNA that I manage, it seems to just be for African American and Irish communities. I’m sure many more will come soon, as I just noticed it on the 25th of July, and it was not there the day before! So, if you are a beginner and have African American or Irish ethnicity, along with DNA communities as part of your AncestryDNA results, you will have some cool helps to get you going on where to look! Did you know there are over 400 African American and Afro-Caribbean communities and 203 Irish communities for AncestryDNA members? I’m not sure all the communities for these 2 ethnicities are included in this new feature yet, but below you’ll find the ones that are included in the long list of DNA that I manage for family, friends, and clients. African American DNA Community Record Collections
Irish DNA Community Record Collections
How to Get to DNA Community Record Collections
More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
As mentioned in Ancestry 2023 Updates: New Genealogy and DNA Tools and Features, one of the new Ancestry updates includes a DNA compare feature/tool, where you can compare your ethnicity estimates and DNA communities with that of others. This is still in BETA mode, which means they may enhance it or tweak it a bit based on feedback. It also means not all may have it yet. How to Get to DNA CompareThere are a few ways to get to the new DNA Compare feature/tool, in which some are fairly the same; I guess they want to make it as easy as possible for you and don’t want you to miss it. 😉
All three of these will get you to your "DNA Story" page where you can click on either of the blue "Compare my DNA" buttons at the end of either the "Ethnicity estimate" section or the "DNA communities" section. Ancestry's DNA Compare Tools
With both DNA Compare Ethnicity Estimates and DNA Compare DNA Communities, you can choose up to 10 people from your matches or even from DNA tests shared with you, including friends! How to Add or Remove People to Compare or Choose a Tree
Clicking on the “Add or remove” button enables a drop-down box that will allow you to select or remove people from the comparison tool.
You also have two quick options to add or remove a person you are currently comparing in the tool. There is a quick option drop-down (the 3 dots) next to each person you are currently comparing that allows you to quickly delete that person from the comparison and/or view that person, and there is a quick option to add another person, after the last person in the comparison tool, by clicking on the “+” button. There is also a drop-down box where you can choose any DNA test results shared with you and do the same. Once you choose who you want to compare with, you will not only see your ethnicity estimates or DNA communities but your match’s as well. It’s a fun feature, but I’m not quite sure how useful it is yet; I will have to play around with it a bit more. Of course, many people have the same ethnicity estimates on both sides of their families and in general. I think the DNA Compare DNA Communities feature is a little more useful, for me that is. Keep in mind that many families and lines have been in the same areas for generations. If your main two lines are of totally different ethnicities or there are recent immigrants, this will be a very useful tool! 😉 More Ancestry DNA Tools and Features Coming Soon
Related Content: Ancestry 2023 Updates: New Genealogy and DNA Tools and Features MyHeritage Features: cM Explainer DNA Tool for Your Genetic Genealogy AncestryDNA New DNA Matches Split by Parent Feature! AncestryDNA’s Chromosome Painter Feature: A Closer Look into Your Ethnicity Inheritance! Ancestry’s New SideView Ethnicity Inheritance DNA Feature! Learn about more Ancestry features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page. MyHeritage has a FREE, new feature, announced at RootsTech, the cM Explainer DNA Tool! This newest genetic genealogy tool uses both centimorgans and ages to give better relationship probability predictions to your DNA matches! I was given a heads up about it and early access to test it out before it’s RootsTech unveiling and had posted it in social media right away, but I wanted to wait until I had time to fully check it out before I did a blog on it. About MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool:This newest genetic genealogy tool uses both centimorgans and ages to give better relationship probability predictions to your DNA matches! You can use it with your MyHeritage DNA matches or as a stand-alone DNA tool from any of your DNA matches at other companies! The DNA match tool gives a detailed prediction of the possible relationships with a DNA match, along with the probabilities of those relationships. It also determines your probable most recent common ancestor and gives a diagram breakdown of the relationships. The tool also puts your relationship into simple terms that everyone can understand, such as parent’s first cousin or first cousin’s child, instead of 1c or 1c1r. You can also filter the predictions by full or 1/2 relationships. This genetic genealogy feature is available for free to anyone who has their DNA results on MyHeritage and as a stand-alone DNA tool for anyone with a MyHeritage account, including their FREE basic account! How to Access MyHeritage DNA Explainer Tool:
MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA TOOL Results and Comparisons:I tested out the MyHeritage cm Explainer DNA Tool with all my mom’s close category DNA matches, with and without ages, while also plugging them into the DNA Painter Shared cM Tool and using AncestryDNA’s built in Possible DNA Relationships tool, to compare results. Example 1:Below is an example of the shared centimorgans between my mom and one her 1/2 first cousins plugged into AncestryDNA's built-in Possible DNA Relationships tool, DNA Painter's Shared cM Project tool, and the new MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool for comparison. Here AncestryDNA's built-in Possible DNA Relationships tool puts my mom's 1/2 first cousin at a possible DNA relationship of 48%, along with many other possible relationships. Here DNA Painter's shared cM Project Tool puts my mom's 1/2 first cousin at a probable DNA relationship of 63%, along with many other probable relationships. Here MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool puts my mom's 1/2 first cousin at a probable DNA relationship of 1st cousin's child or Parent's 1st cousin, a little off on the probable relationship on this one, but half first cousin is included as the 4th possible relationship in the possible relationships breakdown at 8.5%, along with a lot less possible relationships than the other 2. They also have the most recent common ancestor next to each relationship, to simplify it for you. Here is MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool Diagram breakdown of those possible relationships, to help those who visualize information better. Here MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool, with the optional added ages, now puts my mom's 1/2 first cousin at a probable DNA relationship of 1st cousin's child or 1st cousin, still a little off on the probable relationship on this one, but half first cousin is now included in the more fine-tuned possible relationships at 22.8%, along with a lot less possible relationships than the other 2, an overall very good prediction. Here is MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool Diagram breakdown of those now possible relationships, with the optional ages included, to help those who visualize information better. Example 2:Below is an example of the shared centimorgans between my mom and her 1/2 niece plugged into AncestryDNA's built-in Possible DNA Relationships tool, DNA Painter's Shared cM Project tool, and the new MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool for comparison. Here AncestryDNA's built-in Possible DNA Relationships tool puts my mom's 1/2 niece at a possible DNA relationship of 99%, along with many other possible relationships. Here DNA Painter's shared cM Project Tool puts my mom's 1/2 niece at a probable DNA relationship of 98%, along with many other probable relationships. Here MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool puts my mom's 1/2 niece at a probable DNA relationship of 1st cousin, a little off on the probable relationship on this one, but half niece is included as the second possible relationship in the possible relationships breakdown at 11.2%, along with a lot less possible relationships than the other 2. They also have the most recent common ancestor next to each relationship, to simplify it for you. Here MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool, with the optional added ages, now puts my mom's 1/2 niece at only one probable DNA relationship of 1/2 niece, right on target with the exact relationship probability! This was so fine-tuned that it narrowed it down to only four possible relationships at all for the shared centimorgans, along with the possible ages, making this a suberb prediction! Here is MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool Diagram breakdown of those now possible relationships, with the optional ages included, to help those who visualize information better. Conclusion:These are just 2 examples of all of the close matches I tested out. It is a hit or miss with the probable relationship, but ALL the relationships did show up in the possible relationships section, as being one of the possible relationships. Most of the probable relationships were off due to endogamy, pedigree collapse, and very unusual age ranges between some generations, so of course that makes the prediction very difficult, but it is an overall great predictor of DNA match relationships that puts everything in simple terms that anyone can understand, while narrowing down those match relationships significantly.
You can try out this new DNA tool by signing up for a MyHeritage FREE 14-day trial, their FREE Basic Site, one of their Premium Family Site plans, a Data plan, or a Complete plan here: MyHeritage More Genealogy Resources: Learn about more MyHeritage features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page. The Best Month to Purchase Your Ancestral DNA Test Kit Is Finally Here!Are you aware of all the holiday ancestral DNA sales that happen in November each year? If you didn’t, then you do now! November is always the best month to purchase a DNA testing kit! See what each of the fab five genealogy DNA testing sites has to offer and tips on how to choose which sale to go for! AncestryDNA Holiday DNA Sale:Want the largest database of DNA matches and the best starting point for your DNA (you can upload your AncestryDNA to MyHeritage and LivingDNA for free later or FamilyTreeDNA for only $19)? AncestryDNA is having a holiday sale on their DNA kits for only $59! Hurry, these offers are short lived! MyHeritageDNA Holiday DNA Sale:Want to dig deeper into your European ancestry, along with getting to use some fantastic DNA tools? MyHeritage is offering their MyHeritageDNA + MyHeritage 30 day COMPLETE trial (access to their family tree database, historical/genealogy records, and ALL their specialized photo tools + Deep Nostalgia) for only $39, along with FREE shipping on 2 or more kits until November 8th! They also wrap it up beautifully for you! Give a one-of-a-kind gift of incredible discoveries this holiday season! 23andMe Holiday DNA Sale: Want to look deeper into your health & traits and see your DNA results in a fun way? 23andMe is having a sale for 50% off their DNA Kits until November 23rd! FamilyTreeDNA Holiday DNA Sale: Want to dig deep into your ancestry and heritage? FamilyTree DNA is the only company that offers Y-DNA (paternal ancestry) and mtDNA testing (maternal ancestry) way back, and they have an early bird sale going on right now for up to $70 off their autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and mtDNA tests! LivingDNA Holiday DNA Sale:Specializing in African Ancestry, British Ancestry, and European Ancestry, along with sub-regional breakdowns, LivingDNA is having a sale for $69 (+ Free shipping on 3 or more kits) for their ancestral DNA kits! DNA Testing Kit Purchase Tips:
Related DNA Content:More DNA:More Genealogy Resources:Learn about more resources you can use in your genealogy research and to preserve your family history under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page!
After posting a couple of blogs this month on family heritage (Celebrating Your German Ancestry during German-American Heritage Month! and Celebrating Filipino Heritage and Ancestry during Filipino American History Month!) for German-American Heritage Month and Filipino History Month during Family History Month, I decided to look into heritage a little more, which took me more into biographical ancestry and DNA ethnicity results. DNA tests for your ethnicity can be quite fun, but did you know that ethnicity can’t really be detected from your DNA? It can overlap with your biogeographical ancestry though. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of ethnicity is a particular ethnic affiliation or group. Not only does ethnicity look at common geographical locations, but religious affiliations, and cultural heritage as well. Don’t get too hung up on your ethnicity results from DNA testing companies then get off track with your research by going down a rabbit hole. DNA Sample Populations: Keep in mind, that most of the sites sample pools are not very large and the samples are taken from people living now; this is what forms the panels for the reference populations. They do try to collect from people with deep roots in a particular area though. You also need to keep in mind that political boundaries have changed greatly over time and that the regions used in DNA tests are of modern day. You get your DNA “ethnicity” percentages based on your closest matching populations to the reference panel. YOU ALSO CAN ONLY MATCH TO THE GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS THAT ARE IN THE COMPANY'S DATABASE, so keep that in mind as well; although, they will try to match you to the next closest region that they have available in their database. Calculating Your DNA “Ethnicity”: You have a better chance of understanding your biogeographical ancestry if you use your results from each site in conjunction with one another, along with your research of where your family immigrated from, your family surnames, and the trees and names of your distant matches (with hope that their research is correct 😉). Results vary from company to company because they each use a different algorithm and, of course, they have different reference populations to compare your DNA to. DNA Results Constantly Changing: Keep in mind that each company tries to improve on results, so your results may change over time. They may have more regions included in their reference population, they may have come up with a better algorithm, etc. Your DNA “Ethnicity” Percentage Reliablility:
My DNA “Ethnicity” Results from AncestryDNA:
My DNA “Ethnicity” Results from 23 and Me:
My DNA “Ethnicity” Results from MyHeritage:
My DNA “Ethnicity” Results from Family Tree DNA:
*These are my newest/updated results at the time of this post; remember, they are constantly updating and improving. These results have changed quite a bit overtime.
My Known Family Geographical Regions of My Main Family Lines (Using the Lines of All My 2nd Great Grandparents):
My Known Family Geographical Regions Compared to My Ethnicity Results Used in Conjunction: If I use my ethnicity results in conjunction with my known family geographical locations, along with understanding present day locations and migration patterns, and if I keep a mental note of the percentage RANGES that each company offers and how each company defines their geographical regions, then my “estimates” are not too far off. 😉 The only unknown composition (that I have no idea where it came from) is African. I do have a 4th great grandparent on the Mexican line of my paternal side that shows as Mulatto on a Mexican baptismal record, but that doesn't show up in my DNA; although, it does for my paternal uncle. But, when I deep dove more into my results and my DNA matches (and now AncestryDNA has their new "SideView Ethnicity Inheritance" DNA feature and their new "Ethnicity Chromosome Painter" DNA feature to help confirm what I had already researched on), I had learned it is on my mother's side. I have ABSOLUTELY no idea where it comes from, and I'm still researching to figure that out. It shows up on ALL the sites I tested my DNA at (or uploaded my results to), along with many of my maternal matches showing the same; although, the percentages may be off, it is obviously still part of my biogeographical ancestry. Summary of Understanding Your DNA “Ethnicity Results”:
More Genealogy Resources: Learn about more resources you can use in your genealogy research and to preserve your family history under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page! More DNA Posts: Interested in genetic genealogy? Find more DNA posts under my DNA Simplified category! Other DNA Posts that May Be of Interest:
A few days ago, AncestryDNA came out with their much-anticipated DNA feature that splits your DNA matches up by each parent. This feature is an extension of their SideView feature that I wrote about in Ancestry’s New SideView Ethnicity Inheritance DNA Feature!, which groups your ethnicity by each parent and is another useful genealogy resource and DNA tool by Ancestry. If you have just recently taken a DNA test for the first time, are new to AncestryDNA, or just haven’t quite got the grouping your DNA matches technique down yet, this feature is a tremendous help! It can help sort out your matches, which in turn can help you break down brick walls, including for unknown parentage! “Maternal” and “Paternal” Matches vs. “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” Matches: If you’ve had a parent test, it will tell you which matches belong to which parent, labeled as “Maternal” and “Paternal”. If you have not had a parent test, then it will split up your DNA matches as “Parent 1” and “Parent 2”. Editing Parent Label: If you know which side of your family even one of your matches is on, then you can easily tell which side is “Parent 1” vs. “Parent 2”. You can then go in and edit the “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” fields to “Maternal” and “Paternal”. The editor is right next to the label. “Both sides” Matches: Any descendants from kids that both of your parents had together will show up under this label, as well as any relatives (usually distant, but sometimes closer than you may expect 😉) that come from both sides. “Unassigned” Matches: Some matches may be labeled “Unassigned” because your test is fairly new and was processed after their last update in April of 2022, or it may be because they don't have enough information to assign them either parent yet. Editing Individual Match Label: If you have a DNA match that is listed under “Unassigned” or is incorrectly labeled, you can also go in and change that as well, by assigning that DNA match to the proper label. There are 2 ways to do that, shown below. I prefer viewing my matches in the “All Matches” view, so I can view the way I’ve grouped them by color. If you know how to group them by color coding, then you most likely already have your lines split by each parent, and you may find no use for this. Keep in mind that it may still be helpful for those distant matches below 20 cMs, as shared matches are only seen by up to 20 cMs shared or higher.
Keep in mind that this feature is still in Beta mode and may have some kinks in it still, so don’t take is as absolute. 😉 If you’ve done your DNA with Ancestry, then go on Ancestry and check it out! What do you think of this of this awesome new DNA feature from Ancestry? Does yours seem pretty accurate? Let me know what you think about it after you’ve checked it out, in the comments below! More Genealogy Resources: Learn about more resources you can use in your genealogy research and to preserve your family history under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page! More DNA Posts: Interested in genetic genealogy? Find more DNA posts under my DNA Simplified category! Other Ancestry DNA Features and Tools that May Be of Interest: AncestryDNA’s Chromosome Painter Feature: A Closer Look into Your Ethnicity Inheritance! Ancestry’s New SideView Ethnicity Inheritance DNA Feature! Other Ancestry resources, features and tools that may be of interest: Ancestry’s New Deep Dive Census Record Feature! Genealogy Resources: Ancestry’s New Photo Editor and New Look Updates Get Ready for the 1950 Census with New Updates and FREE Cool Helps from Ancestry! |
Details
Categories
All
FeaturedTop PostsBlogrollEvalogue.Life, Heart of the Family, Molly's Canopy, Climbing My Family Tree, Cami Mayer, Field Genealogist, Ancestor Detective, DNA Breakthroughs, Your DNA Guide, Ancestral Findings, Genealogy Tip of the Day, Family History Daily, Genea-Musings
BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! Come visit me at Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family if you're interested in starting your family history journey, booking me for your next speaking event, or family history and genealogy heirloom products!
Archives
April 2024
|