About us
Barbara's Hints for FamilyFinder:
Genealogical Identification of Matches: The best way to make genealogical sense of your FamilyFinder matches is to persuade relatives from various branches of your family to also do FamilyFinder. The best relatives to test are the oldest as they are closer in generations to a most recent common ancestor than you are. Test as many relatives as you can afford to. See: http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2013/04/07/widen-the-net/. You can then look for matches in common with a particular relative. Or you can use matches that you learn are related to you in a particular way to identify which branch of your tree other matches most likely also are related to you by looking at the matches in common with that match.
Next, look at the match and all matches in common with that match on the chromosome browser for any who match you at the same location on the same chromosome. It is important that they satisfy both criteria. If you can identify the group of people who satisfy both criteria as say paternal matches, you can then look for matches who match you at the same location on the same chromosome but are not matches in common with the paternal matches; these folks are most likely maternal matches. The easiest way to do this chromosome comparison is to upload all your chromosome browser data on all your matches to www.gedmatch.com. You can only do five matches at a time, but once you get into the rhythm of it, it goes fairly quickly. You will then be able to look at all your matches in one place, chromosome by chromosome. There is also another utility for obtaining information about your matches: www.dnagedcom.com.
Relationship Designation/Matches in Common: You can download a list of the matches in common for each of your matches at www.dnagedcom.com together with a list of all your FamilyFinder matches and a list of where on each chromosome you match each match.
Sort Your Matches: There is a new app available for the Apple iPad that can be used to generate of list of your matches sorted by chromosome number on which they match you: DNAMatchforiPad.
Useful Sites:
Comparing raw autosomal data: http://www.math.mun.ca/~dapike/FF23utils/pair-comp.php
How much DNA you share with various relatives: http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_statistics
National Geographic Genetics Overview: https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/science-behind/genetics-overview/
New Zealand Vital Records: https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Home/
Nova Scotia Vital Records: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/genealogy.asp
Passenger Lists for ships to New Zealand/Australia: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/passengerlists/Sebim.shtml
Scotland Vital Records: http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
X-chromosome Overview: http://www.broadinstitute.org/~sfs/nrg_Xchrom.pdf.
Genealogical Identification of Matches: The best way to make genealogical sense of your FamilyFinder matches is to persuade relatives from various branches of your family to also do FamilyFinder. The best relatives to test are the oldest as they are closer in generations to a most recent common ancestor than you are. Test as many relatives as you can afford to. See: http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2013/04/07/widen-the-net/. You can then look for matches in common with a particular relative. Or you can use matches that you learn are related to you in a particular way to identify which branch of your tree other matches most likely also are related to you by looking at the matches in common with that match.
Next, look at the match and all matches in common with that match on the chromosome browser for any who match you at the same location on the same chromosome. It is important that they satisfy both criteria. If you can identify the group of people who satisfy both criteria as say paternal matches, you can then look for matches who match you at the same location on the same chromosome but are not matches in common with the paternal matches; these folks are most likely maternal matches. The easiest way to do this chromosome comparison is to upload all your chromosome browser data on all your matches to www.gedmatch.com. You can only do five matches at a time, but once you get into the rhythm of it, it goes fairly quickly. You will then be able to look at all your matches in one place, chromosome by chromosome. There is also another utility for obtaining information about your matches: www.dnagedcom.com.
Relationship Designation/Matches in Common: You can download a list of the matches in common for each of your matches at www.dnagedcom.com together with a list of all your FamilyFinder matches and a list of where on each chromosome you match each match.
Sort Your Matches: There is a new app available for the Apple iPad that can be used to generate of list of your matches sorted by chromosome number on which they match you: DNAMatchforiPad.
Useful Sites:
Comparing raw autosomal data: http://www.math.mun.ca/~dapike/FF23utils/pair-comp.php
How much DNA you share with various relatives: http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_statistics
National Geographic Genetics Overview: https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/science-behind/genetics-overview/
New Zealand Vital Records: https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Home/
Nova Scotia Vital Records: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/genealogy.asp
Passenger Lists for ships to New Zealand/Australia: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/passengerlists/Sebim.shtml
Scotland Vital Records: http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
X-chromosome Overview: http://www.broadinstitute.org/~sfs/nrg_Xchrom.pdf.