Question

What do you do if the research presented does not match the DNA provided on all sides?

Comments

The DNA displayed at Wikitree or the DNA matches from a testing site?

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Both the DNA for Tinnerella-1 and the DNA from WIKI; however research provided states differently.

Answer 1

IF the DNA evidence is clear and persuasive, under WikiTree policy, DNA trumps records, at least for public profiles.

Per wikitree policy: 

For public profiles without connections to living people, genetic connections should prevail. This is a choice that our community has made: our tree should be genetic.

. . .

As explained above, for non-living people genetic connections should prevail. However, there is some flexibility when living people are involved.

Clear and persuasive DNA evidence is more the exception than the rule, however. When they conflict, a careful analysis of both the DNA evidence and record evidence is required.

Answer 2

Wikitree doesn’t collect or store actual DNA, just what tests people have taken.  That information then propagates back through each person’s ancestors.  Depending on how many generations back, not everyone who shows as a likely DNA descendant on a profile will actually be a DNA match with other descendants.  And of course someone may be incorrectly attached as an ancestor.

Answer 3

I've come across this myself with this ancestor.

Witt-2886

Dozens of people whom I have DNA matches with on Ancestry have placed her father as David Witt. Mother as either Sarah Abney or Sarah Harbour. Ancestry ThruLines have predicted that I'm half 6th cousins of some of David Witt's ancestors.

But the Celia Witt whose parents were David and Sarah lived in an entirely different location, married into an entirely different family, and was buried in a completely different location.

Just because you match DNA with someone doesn't mean their tree is accurate. My case is proof of that. People who have added David Witt and Sarah Abney as parents of Celia Kerbow (Witt) never actually bothered to look at the source they saved. Had they bothered to look at it for literally 2 seconds, they would have seen the Celia married someone totally different. Also the people who have Harbour as mother have placed it to where she would have given birth at 60 years old. Highly unlikely in the 1700's and whoever added it that way likely didn't care about accuracy.

Trust the research and facts that are well sourced and documented. Don't trust DNA matches where the person you're looking at has poor sourcing or looks like they just add whatever the hell they want to add to their tree without care for accuracy.

Comments

Absolutely!  Too many people think Ancestry DNA Thrulines are proof of a genetic connection.  The Ancestry DNA test connects you to your close cousins.  If your close cousins have bad data in their trees, that's what the Thrulines will show you.  If the cousins copy the data from tree to tree without looking at the sources, it makes the whole thing worse.