MyHeritage Features: cM Explainer DNA Tool for Your Genetic Genealogy

MyHeritage Features: cM Explainer DNA Tool for Your Genetic Genealogy

MyHeritage has a FREE, new feature, announced at RootsTech, the cM Explainer DNA Tool!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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How to Access MyHeritage DNA Explainer Tool:

1. From the MyHeritage Home page, click on DNA in the navigation menu
2. From DNA, click on DNA Tools in the dropdown box
3. From the DNA Tools page, click on cM Explainer
4. Enter your shared cMs and you're ready to go!

Step 1: How to Get to MyHeritage cM Explainer

Step 2: How to Get to MyHeritage cM Explainer

Step 3: How to Get to MyHeritage cM Explainer

Step 4: How to Get to MyHeritage cM Explainer

Step 5: How to Get to MyHeritage cM Explainer

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.
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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.
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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.

AncestryDNA built-in Possible DNA Relationships tool

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.

DNA Painter Shared cM Project tool

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.

Example 1: MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool, without ages

Here is MyHeritage's cM Explainer DNA Tool Diagram breakdown of those possible relationships, to help those who visualize information better.

Example 1: MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool breakdown Diagram, without ages

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.  

Example 1: MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool, with ages

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 1: MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool breakdown Diagram, with ages

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.
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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.

Example 2: AncestryDNA built-in Possible DNA Relationships tool

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.

Example 2: DNA Painter Shared cM Project tool

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.

Example 2: MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool, without ages

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! ​

Example 2: MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool, with ages

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: MyHeritage cM Explainer DNA Tool breakdown Diagram, with ages

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.