Question

How do I use my DNA test results to prove relationships

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Comments

Ok y'all. I know that was a vague question. I already have done an Ancestry DNA test. I have uploaded to Gedmatch. I have it uploaded to my wikitree profile. I do see it on my profile and relatives.

I'm probably on my own as far as testing. I am an only child. My parents are both living, but probably won't test. I do have a 3rd cousin on my Dad's side who has tested.

I have been trying to understand what I need to do next. But it seems clear as mud. I have read about the DNA confirmation aid but that doesn't tell me much. I need help!

Thank you!

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Hi Donna, On your profile you can see information about a DNA test for Susan Zerface Muckerman. If you click on the small green symbol to the right of her name, you will see a WikiTree Relationship Finder page that shows that you and she are third cousins. It also tells you that your Most Recent Common Ancestors (MRCAs) are your shared 2nd great grandparents, William Riley Smith-113494 and Mary Berryman-389. That page shows all the parental relationships that can be marked 'confirmed with DNA' if your two DNA tests show an appropriate amount of shared DNA.  Your next step is to sign in to GEDmatch.com, and compare your two DNA tests using the 'One-to-One compare' feature. Enter your two GEDmatch IDs, and use the default options provided by GEDmatch. The resulting page will give you the rest of the information you need to write your DNA confirmation statement using these instructions: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:DNA_Confirmation#One-to-One_GEDmatch_Confirmation

Answer 1

Hey Donna,

One thing about your question that I want to clarify? You can not prove your ancestry using DNA, you can only confirm your Genealogical trail using DNA to identify others who also share your Genealogical trail.

Add your DNA test information to WikiTree and WikiTree will populate your Ancestral trail with the appropriate DNA information. If Fern has a mtDNA test it would follow her mother, mothers, mothers mothers line back as far back as the profiles for those mothers that you have added. Same thing with auDNA and mtDNA and XDNA. If you fill in your limbs on WikiTree and end-up connecting to the tree, your DNA test information will continue to follow your lines back.

In your "DNA Connections" section of your profile, and on the profiles of your ancestors, your DNA test information will appear. As your work through your matches on your DNA testing site you can find their most distant ancestors on WikiTree and see their DNA information as well.

Download and then upload your raw DNA data to GEDmatch to share your DNA with others from all the DNA testing companies. If you have Y or mtDNA you will be able to upload it to a new YDNA and mtDNA database site sometime in December - www.mitoydna.org

On your profile or profiles of your matches ancestors you can click the GEDmatch compare feature (in the DNA Connections section on the profile) and compare yourself to them (or compare other kits) via WikiTrees integration with GEDmatch.

Mags

Comments

Thats Crap, Dna Does Prove or Disprove a Line,.

First DNA does not Care about your Feelings it will reveal Non Paternal Events.

If your paper Trail of records for your sure name or Maiden name says one Thing Dna Matches of Different Surnames or autosomal matches that dont Fit the Paper Trail through marrages will tell a different Story.

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Actually, to use the term "prove" related to DNA is possible only with autosomal DNA and only with extremely close relations, as in twins, parent/child, and full siblings. (Even then, in highly endogamous societies there could even be some fudge-factor in everything but monozygotic twins.) It can, though, provide evidence in varying degrees of strength to a variety of relationship hypotheses in all three of its tested forms: yDNA, mtDNA, and autosomal DNA.

But its use is equally important in genealogy as a mechanism with which to disprove relationship hypotheses. In that, evidence of a much lower resolution can do the job. For example, if two men's results show both in haplogroup R-M269, there are no positive conclusions, genealogically, that can be drawn from that. However, if one of the men is E-M2, a possible genealogical relationship can be confidently considered disproved.

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Thanks! Great info!

Answer 2

First, you need to test (I see you already have) but then, Fern needs to test. In absence of Fern testing, one of your siblings can test instead - however, as you are an only child, you would test one of her siblings or one of her siblings children. Preferably you would take many of these options, testing cousins and family members on Ferns side as well as your father’s if you are interested in that. 

Then, you would check the DNA Relatives/Matches feature on your testing site. I see you’ve already uploaded to GEDmatch, which helps a lot in case you all tested on different platforms. If Fern is your mother that’s a proven relationship, but on Wikitree, we need to cite it. 

Make sure allcousins mentions in your citations are members of Wikitree, even if they are just “family member” accounts. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:DNA_Confirmation

Answer 3

Y DNA, MdDNA or autochronosmal (sp?) - depends on mother's line, father's or nearest 4 or 5 generations.