Acadian DNA sources

Profile managers: Gisèle Cormier [send private message] and Cindy Cooper [send private message]

Acadian Project and DNA

For instructions of how to arrange the settings of your DNA information on WikiTree, see Your DNA Test Info on WikiTree.

For information and instructions on how DNA is reported in WikiTree profiles, see DNA Info on WikiTree Profiles

For instructions of how to arrange the settings of your FTDNA kit, see Your DNA Kit at FTDNA

See the Glossary for some of the terms used in this document.

To gain a better understanding of how yDNA, mtDNA, and xDNA is passed down through the generations , see DNA Inheritance Patterns.

Your DNA Test Info on WikiTree

Wherever you may have taken a DNA test, you can register the test on WikiTree. You will never have to upload your DNA file from the testing site. All that WikiTree wants/needs to know is where you took the test, what kind of test it is, and what haplogroup information the testing company provided.

For the purposes of the Acadian Project, we are only concerned with yDNA and mtDNA tests. For the most part, we are specifically interested in yDNA and mtDNA kits that have been tested by FTDNA and are listed on a public-facing report issued by one of the FTDNA research groups. (Autosomal DNA matching will not allow us to confirm relationships as far back as the Acadian period from 1604-1763.)

You can optionally upload your yDNA and/or mtDNA files to mitoYDNA (free) and/or yFull (fee).

Register your DNA Test on WikiTree

Step 1.) From the Add menu, select "DNA Test Information".

Step 2.) Find the "Add New Test Information" header.

Step 3.) Choose type of test and fill in fields.

Step 4.) Click ADD TEST

Add yDNA Test Info. Enter Haplogroup, # of markers, kit number.

Add mtDNA Test Info. Enter Haplogroup and kit number.

Within 48 hours, you will see your own name in the DNA Connections list at the right side.

DNA Connections

DNA Connections. In right margin of profile.

The DNA Connections info box on your own profile will list all of the DNA tests that you have registered with WikiTree.

As you can see in this example, two of my male cousins have also taken yDNA tests reporting "Y-DNA Test 111 markers, haplogroup R-M269". None of my mtDNA cousins have registered an mtDNA test. One fairly close cousin has taken an autosomal DNA test at Ancestry and has copied it to GEDmatch.

Those three yDNA testers appear on the DNA Connections info box of every patrilineal descendant of our Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA) who also happens to be our Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA). All of his patrilineal descendants (his sons, and their sons, and their sons), will have those three names on their profiles to show that they are likely yDNA matches for anyone on that same patrilineal line.

My name appears on the profiles of all of my mtDNA ancestors and relatives on WikiTree. If anybody new shows up and registers an mtDNA test, I will know within 48 hours. I'm not counting on that, but that's how the DNA works on WikiTree. It is automatic, though patience is required.

My name and my cousin's name appear on the profiles of our autosomal DNA cousins, and in those cases where there is potential for an xDNA match, that is also indicated. (Not all testing companies test for and/or publish xDNA results and/or or matches, so it is not a commonly used technique.)

You can examine the relationship between the subject of any profile and the people in the corresponding DNA Connections info box by plugging their WikiTree IDs into the Relationship Finder.

Set WikiTree Profile Privacy Level

The profiles of Living People who have registered their DNA on WikiTree should have the Privacy Level be set to one of:

• "Private with Public Biography and Family Tree".
• "Private with Public Family Tree".

Similarly, the profiles of the parent and grandparent of the DNA tester should allow Public Biography and Family Tree.

If you do not set the Privacy Level to allow a Public Biography and Family Tree, then any attempts at a DNA Confirmation will be made much more difficult, or even impossible, as we won't be able to validate your genealogy.

Validate Genealogical Relationships

We cannot stress this enough: you must validate genealogical relationships.

As much as we might fervently believe that an ancestor is the mother or father of a given subject, we must include sources that validate that relationship. Those sources must be what WikiTree considers a reliable source. If any parent does not have reliable sources, then that parent should be marked as uncertain or non-biological. The non-biological setting indicates she is not a biological mother, which prevents DNA kits from being propagated any further up that line.

To validate that a line is continuous, we should demonstrate that each parent-child relationship is supported by one or more of the following records:

• a birth record that names the child and the parent(s)
• a baptismal record that names the child and the parent(s)
• a marriage record that names the child and the parent(s)
• a death record that names the child and the parent(s)
• a burial record that names the child and the parent(s)

Relationships that are only supported by a census, for example, are somewhat less reliable indicators of a parent-child status. Census records are certainly useful supporting evidence of a familial relationship, but they are more prone to errors in reporting. It's not that one should not use census records, but if they are the sole source of proof for a relationship, then that relationship is likely to be subject to further interrogation on WikiTree. Similarly, a relationship that is only supported by the text of an obituary or a Find-a-Grave memorial is also likely to be subject to further interrogation.

Problems arise when someone adds a family line that has not been validated, and there are conflicting DNA Haplogroups being reported on all related lines. In such a situation, we have to check the entire line of one or more of the testers to try to determine where an unexpected parental event occurs.

We cannot stress this enough: you must validate genealogical relationships.

Confirm your DNA relationships

On WikiTree, when you are editing a profile, there is a radio button group below the subject's parents' names. You can choose from:

[ ] non-biological

[ ] uncertain

[ ] confident

[x] confirmed with DNA

WikiTree reports that information to the tools and apps that we use to navigate the tree, analyze family groups, and to highlight family lines that are confirmed with DNA.

There are certain requirements that must be satisfied before the confirmed with DNA toggle is allowed to be set.

1. genealogical proof of the relationship (see Validate Genealogical Relationships above)
2. a DNA Confirmations subsection in the Sources section
3. one or more DNA Confirmation statements
4. Sources section should include links to supporting evidence of DNA kits in FTDNA groups

The easiest way to create a DNA confirmation statement is to use Greg Clarke's DNA Confirmation Citation Maker app.

DNA Confirmation Citation Maker app.

You will need the following information:

• The WikiTree ID of Testers 1 and 2
• The FTDNA kit #s of Testers 1 and 2
• The WikiTree ID of their Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA)
• The WikiTree ID of their grandparent (optional)
• The relationship between the parties
  • from Tester 1 to MRCA (e.g. 7th great-grandaughter)
  • from Tester 2 to MRCA (e.g. 6th great-granddaughter)
  • from Tester 1 to Tester 2 (e.g. 7th cousin 1x removed)
• Details of the match
  • Genetic Distance of 7 on 111 markers
  • Full Sequence mtDNA exact match (GD=0), on CR and HVR1 and HVR2,

Also see the following Help pages for details:

• DNA Confirmation
• yDNA Confirmation
• Help: mtDNA Confirmation

Example yDNA Confirmation

In this example, two of the testers have registered yDNA tests with WikiTree, as you can see in the DNA Relationships list above, and a third private tester is only identified by his initials, his FTDNA kit number, and his relationship to his grandfather. Thus, even though we don't know exactly who the tester is, we are able to follow his line up from his grandfather to the MRCA, who both have WikiTree profiles.

MRCA is William Moloney Sr.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. Murray Maloney, FTDNA kit # IN41520, and his 4th cousin, E.J.M., FTDNA kit #IN68671, match at a Genetic Distance of 7 on 111 markers, thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is William Moloney Sr., the 3rd great-grandfather of both Murray Maloney and E.J.M. (who is a grandson of Joseph Lawrence Maloney).

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. P.M., FTDNA kit # IN43035, and his 4th cousin, E.J.M., FTDNA kit #IN68671, match at a Genetic Distance of 7 on 111 markers, thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is William Moloney Sr., the 3rd great-grandfather of both P.M. (who is a grandson of Edward "Sydney" Maloney) and E.J.M. (who is a grandson of Joseph Lawrence Maloney).

Example mtDNA Confirmation

• The subject of this profile is Ursuline Abbadie de Saint-Castin (abt.1696-1768), who is a daughter of Mathilde à Madockawando Penobscot.
• Maternal relationship is confirmed through Mitochondrial DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. David Alan Hawksley, FTDNA kit # 174957, (a grandchild of Dora M. ( Evans) Terrien) and his maternal line cousin UNK (a grandchild of Anne Marie Eva Poirier (1897-)), FTDNA kit # B944498, have an exact Full Sequence mtDNA match, on HVR1, HVR2, and Coding Region, thereby confirming their direct maternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is Mathilde à Madockawando Penobscot the 9x great grandmother of David Alan Hawksley and the 8x grandmother of UNK.
  • mtDNA Tester UNK is a grandchild of Anne Marie Eva Poirier (1897-), who is a 6x ggd of Mathilde à Madockawando Penobscot through daughter Ursuline Abbadie de Saint-Castin (abt.1696-1768).
  • mtDNA Tester David Alan Hawksley is grandchild of Dora M. ( Evans) Terrien who is a 7x ggd of Mathilde à Madockawando Penobscot through daughter Anastasie D'Abbadie (abt.1685-abt.1744).

Example mtDNA Confirmation

• Maternal relationship is confirmed through Mitochondrial DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. Annette Cormier, FTDNA kit # 348700, and her maternal line cousin ANONYMOUS (a direct matrilineal descendant of Therese Ethier), Kit # 241277, have a Full Sequence mtDNA match with a Genetic Distance = 1, matching perfectly on HVR1 and the Coding Region, and with a single difference at position 309.2C in HVR2, thereby confirming their direct maternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is Marie Christine Aubois the 8x great grandmother of Annette Cormier and the 9x grandmother of ANONYMOUS.
  • The subject of this profile is Anne Roy (abt.1686-1717), a daughter of Marie Christine Aubois.
  • Tester Annette Cormier is a grandchild of Elizabeth Guimond and an 8x great-grandchild of Marie Christine Aubois through daughter Anne Roy (abt.1686-1717).
  • Tester ANONYMOUS is a grandchld of Merie Milina Lafleur (abt.1881-abt.1909) and and a 9x great-grandchild of Marie Christine Aubois through daughter Marie Roy dit Laliberteé (abt.1689-1765)

Example mtDNA Confirmation

MRCA is Francoise Olivier

MRCA is the matrilineal grandmother of the subject of this profile, Marie Joseph Josette (Becker) Moloney who is 4x great-grandmother of mtDNA tester C.B.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed through Mitochondrial DNA test results on Family Tree DNA between B.B. (FTDNA kit # IN121205) and her matrilineal cousin 7C C.B. (FTDNA kit # B370466) who have a Full Sequence mtDNA exact match (GD=0), on CR and HVR1 and HVR2, thereby confirming their direct maternal lines back to their Most-Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) who is Françoise (Olivier) David (abt.1726-aft.1785). MRCA is 6x great grandmother of B.B. MRCA is 6x great grandmother of C.B.

How would it work for me? So, just for fun, let's try a simple example... Siblings take mtDNA tests and the results are no surprise: they would have a Full Sequence, HVR1, HVR2, and CR match. Next step: you can create a DNA Confirmation between the two of you, with your mother as MRCA, and each of you can enable that confirm with DNA radio button under your mother's name. Next, you tell your matrilineal cousin and she takes a test, so you can now add a DNA Confirmation between you and your cousin, and you can both mark confirmed with DNA up to your grandmother, who is your Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA). Time passes and then, suddenly, a new test appears in your DNA Connections list and it turns out to be a very distant cousin, and your MRCA is somebody from the 1600s. So, you verify the genealogy and then you use Greg's tool to create all the DNA Confirmation statements.

When you have completed the process of creating DNA Confirmations for all of the profiles on the line between you and the Most Recent Common Ancestor, and you have set the confirmed with DNA radio button, you can also think about adding yDNA- and mtDNA-specific categories.

DNA Info on WikiTree Profiles

DNA Relationship Reporting

When we look at the DNA Connections listing in the right column of the profile, there may be a list of WikiTree members who have taken yDNA, mtDNA, and auDNA tests. Those are the WikiTree members who have taken a test and registered it (see above). Assuming that the member has filled in the yDNA and/or mtDNA Haplogroup reported by the testing company, you will then know which haplogroup to expect to be reported for any given ancestor on that patrilineal or matrilineal line, and also for all of the patrlineal or matrilineal descendants of the Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA).

For any WikiTree member who has not yet decided whether to get a test or whether to register it on WikiTree, the presence of an existing test on a corresponding patrilineal or matrilineal line will serve as reassurance that they might find a match and be able to confirm patrilineal or matrilineal line of ascent.

Haplogroup Sticker on a EKA Profile

You can use a special WikiTree Sticker to report the yDNA or mtDNA Haplogroup of the Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA) of Y700 level and Full Sequence mtDNA level testers who have registered on WikiTree. The sticker appears near the top of the biography. Details of how to use these stickers are available here:

FS mtDNA EKA Sticker

• FS mtDNA EKA Sticker

Examples:

• Marie Mathilde (Penobscot) Pidianske (bef.1658-abt.1720)
• Michelle Aucoin (abt.1620-1706)
• Jeanne Aucoin (abt.1630-1718)

FS mtDNA EKA Sticker

• Unknown Mi'kmaq

Big Y700 yDNA EKA Sticker.

• Y700 EKA Sticker

The Earliest Known Ancestor Finder App is available to help identify the EKAs for any tester.

Note: Marking an EKA's profile with this sticker is not a DNA Confirmation for relationships. For DNA confirmation, see the section earlier on this page.

Haplogroup Categories

Assuming that a yDNA or mtDNA haplogroup has been confirmed and validated for any person profile, you can add one of the haplogroup categories to that profile.

For example:

• [[Category:MtDNA haplogroup C1c]]
• [[Category:MtDNA Haplogroup X2b]]

For a full list of existing haplogroups:

• Category: MtDNA Haplogroups
• Category:Full Sequence mtDNA Haplogroups
• Category:Y-DNA Haplogroups
• Category: Y-DNA Haplotypes

Research Notes

Research Notes are separate from the Biography. We can report facts in the Biography. In the Research Notes, we can report on information that comes to us from 3rd party sources. General genealogy research should be followed by a DNA Research subsection, which will include citation references as appropriate.

Third-Party Reporting There are numerous research projects at FTDNA and elsewhere which report on their own findings, often including privatized details of the genealogical lines involved in a DNA Triangulation. Several offer a list of genealogically known ancestral women and their mtDNA Haplogroups. These reports and findings are not considered reliable sources in the sense that we cannot always verify their findings independently, or privacy considerations prevent further examination of records. Sometimes what we learn from these reports will lead us to discover hitherto missing fonts of information. We can use the Research Notes to share such clues to guide us in our further efforts to find evidence of births, marriages, and death (BMD). When we do discover further evidence, we can sometimes convert some of these third-party reports into corroborating evidence.

DNA Research

These following tidbits of information within the DNA Research subsection are examples of how we might present a sufficient statement for anyone to recognize what is being said about whom along with reference citations. Each of these examples are taken from reputable 3rd-party genetic genealogy researchers and reporters with a specialty in the study of Acadian, French, Quebecois, and First Nations genetic genealogy. We value their work.

Example 1:

Stephen White reported that Catherine Caplan, Marguerite Caplan, and Marie Louise Caplan were haplotype C1c, determined by mtDNA testing of descendants.^[1]

Example 2:

Mothers of Acadia reports that Radegonde Lambert's haplogroup signature is X2b4. Several direct matrilineal descendants of Radegonde Lambert have taken mitochondrial DNA tests, descending from her daughters Madeleine Blanchard, Anne Blanchard, and Marie Blanchard. ^[2] Details of the mtDNA tests are reported by the Mothers of Acadia Project. See this diagram of descendants for more information.

Example 3:

Denis Beauregard reports that François Savoie's presumed haplogroup signature is R1b-FT369318. Some direct patrilineal descendants of François Savoie have taken Y-DNA tests, descending from his son Germain Savoie.^[3] Details of the Y-DNA tests are reported by the French Heritage Project and Québec ADNy Project. See this DNA catalogue entry for more information.

Example 4:

There are five mtDNA test results posted at Québec mtDNA Project claiming Marie Boudot as their Earliest Known Ancestor, and reporting Hg=D1.^[4] There are also two test results reporting Louise Boudot as Earliest Known Ancestor.

FrancoGène mtDNA Triangulation TRI0397 reports Hg=D1.^[5]

Example 5:

See a more elaborate example in the profile of Marguerite Lebreton.

Inferred DNA Haplogroup Reporting

Sometimes we may find it useful to infer the DNA Haplogroup of one person on WikiTree based upon what we may know about their close relations. For example, although my brothers have not taken yDNA tests, based on our knowledge of my yDNA test result, and the fact that it matches with three of my cousins, we infer the same haplogroup for my brothers.

The leaders of the Acadian Project and of the DNA Project do not recommend including statements that infer a DNA Haplogroup, but if they are to be included, they should appear in the Research Notes, with supporting evidence.

For example, in the profle of my brother (P.M.), he could include a Research Note:

• The yDNA Haplogroup of P.M. is inferred to be R-M269, based upon the yDNA test results of his brother Murray Maloney, which relationship is supported by an atDNA Confirmation (see Sources) that confirm that they are full brothers, whose Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) is their father.

Sources and Citations

When we are reporting on DNA tests, we typically need to provide a citation for the source of our knowledge about the test. Fortunately, there are several research groups that publish privatized partial results of yDNA and mtDNA tests. The Mothers of Acadia project at FTDNA is one such example.

The public-facing reports issued by these FTDNA research groups are curated by the group administrators, who organize the kits among their logical genetic matches and their genealogical siblings and cousins. The listings include an FTDNA kit number, that person's declared Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA), the EKA's birth and death dates and places, and partial results, including haplogroup. For the sake of privacy, the person's name and their full results are not presented. As a consequence, it is not possible to use these public results to confirm a DNA match, but they are supporting evidence for the existence of the kit and the declared EKA.

Some of the research groups and individual genetic genealogists listed here also occasionally issue reports and findings. In some cases, they may state that, based on evidence that they can see, a given genealogical line is one haplogroup or another, or that a DNA match has confirmed a DNA relationship. On WikiTree, we can report such statements in the Research Notes of a profile, but it cannot be used as evidence in support of a DNA Confirmation. However, the information gained from such reports is often helpful in leading us toward achieving a proper DNA Confirmation on WikiTree.

• Mothers of Acadia mtDNA Project sorted by Last Name, includes all entries by that name (often more than one for a single person) with originating country, and corresponding Haplogroup. Project Background
  • Citation: <ref>Savard, Denis, Administrator, Mothers of Acadia mtDNA Project reports [https://www.familytreedna.com/public/mothersofacadia/default.aspx?section=mtresults mtDNA Test Results] (Accessed DATE), MOTHER </ref>
  • Include the Accessed DATE, like this: (Accessed 30 Nov 2023).
  • Fill in the MOTHER. This the declared EKA of the tester. It would be helpful to include the name of the EKA, their birth and death years and places, their FTDNA kit ID, their WikiTree ID, and their Haplogroup. Each of these data can help to narrow down the specific test result that the citation is intended to refer and to confirm the matching criteria.

• Mothers of Acadia different view sorted by last name, shows family relationships, DNA type in color for easy interpretation, i.e. French in green, English in yellow, Native in blue. Click on name for more relationship information.
  • Citation: <ref>Savard, Denis, Administrator [http://www.savart.info/AcadieADN/ Acadie ADN / Acadian DNA (Mothers of Acadia) Signatures ADN] (Accessed DATE), MOTHER </ref>

• White's Founding Mothers of Acadia includes indigenous women, provides DNA results, includes spouse, does not include children.
  • Citation:<ref>White, Stephen A. (2020, May). [http://www.acadian-home.org/Founding-Mothers-of-Acadia.html Founding Mothers of Acadia]. Founding Mothers of Acadia - Acadian Ancestral Home by Lucie Consentino. (Accessed DATE), MOTHER </ref>
  • Fill in the date accessed and the most recent Update Date, which is currently May 2020.

• White's mtDNA Proven Origins includes indigenous women, includes spouse, and Haplogroup, includes at least one family list.
  • Citation:<ref>White, Stephen A. (2020, May). [http://www.acadian-home.org/origins-mtdna.html mtDNA Proven Origins]. mtDNA Proven Origins - Acadian Ancestral Home by Lucie Consentino. (Accessed DATE), MOTHER </ref>

• Beauregard's DNA Signatures Catalogue Y-DNA and mtDNA triangulations sorted by last name
  • Citation: <ref>Beauregard, Denis, Administrator [https://www.francogene.com/triangulation/index.php Catalogue de signatures ADN/DNA Signatures Catalogue] (Accessed DATE), FATHER/MOTHER. </ref>

• FamilyTreeDNA Results for Y-DNA Sorted by Haplogroup
  • Citation:<ref>Estes, Roberta and Marie Rundquist. Acadian and Amerindian Ancestry DNA Project - Y-DNA Classic Chart. Acadian and Amerindian Ancestry DNA Project. [https://www.familytreedna.com/public/AcadianAmerIndian?iframe=yresults Y-DNA Results], (Accessed DATE), FATHER </ref>

• FamilyTreeDNA Results for mtDNA Sorted by Haplogroup
  • Citation:<ref>Estes, Roberta and Marie Rundquist. Acadian and Amerindian Ancestry DNA Project - mtDNA Test Results. Acadian and Amerindian Ancestry DNA Project. [https://www.familytreedna.com/public/AcadianAmerIndian?iframe=mtresults mtDNA Results], (Accessed DATE), MOTHER </ref>

• La Souche Caplan has a well developed compendium of information about DNA sources, together with a Bibliography of sources, with coded citations for the individual sources, ready to copy and paste.

Blogs and Articles

• https://dna-explained.com/2021/07/12/acadian-refugee-households-at-camp-desperance-1756-1761-52-ancestors-338/

Appendix

Glossary

This glossary has been purposely not ordered alphabetically.

• term of art — a word or phrase that has a precise, specialized meaning within a particular field or profession. For example: "‘public domain’ is a term of art in copyright law and you shouldn't throw it around if you don't know what it means"

• auDNA or atDNA — autosomal DNA, involving 22 chromosomes, available through Ancestry, FTDNA, MyHeritage, etc. This can be used to confirm with DNA as far back as 4th great-grandparents, who are likely to have been born in the late 1700s.

(An autosomal DNA match cannot confirm relationships back to the Acadian period of 1604–1763.)

• xDNA — Chromosome 23, aka the X chromosome. Males receive one X chromosome from their mothers. Males can only pass along their entire X chromosome to their daughters. Females receive two X chromosomes, one from each parent, and can pass any blend of their X chromosome to their male and female offspring.

(An xDNA match cannot confirm relationships back to the Acadian period of 1604–1763.)

• yDNA — patrilineal line of descent. yDNA passes from a father to his sons only. While Y111 and Y500 are acceptable, Y700 is the new gold standard for defining yDNA Haplogroup signatures. These tests are available at FTDNA and the data can be uploaded to mitoYDNA and/or YFull for supplementary analysis.
• mtDNA — matrilineal line of descent. mtDNA passes from a mother to her sons and daughters. The Full Sequence mtDNA test is the gold standard. These tests are available at FTDNA and the data can be uploaded to mitoYDNA and/or YFull for supplementary analysis. (There are numerous historical examples of mtDNA tests that are not Full Sequence, being rather limited to HVR1, or only HVR1 and HVR2.)

For the purposes of the Acadian Project, we are only concerned with yDNA and mtDNA tests. For the most part, we are specifically interested in yDNA and mtDNA kits that have been tested by FTDNA and are a) listed on a public-facing report issued by one of the FTDNA research groups, or b) have been uploaded to and listed on mitoYDNA.

• Patrilineal — a line going through only male ancestors and descendants. From any subject to their father, and their father, and their father, and so on. Conversely, down through the sons.
• Matrilineal — a line going through only female ancestors and descendants. From any subject to their mother, and their mother, and their mother, and so on. Conversely, down through the daughters.

• Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA) — term of art. The person at the end of the patrilineal or matrilineal line. If the person at the very end of the line is not well documented, then sometimes a more recent ancestor will be listed.
  • Declared EKA — the EKA that is named by the tester as their EKA in the FTDNA report.
  • Current EKA — a more recent discovery or an earliest unknown ancestor (EUA).
• Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) — term of art. Identifying the MRCA is a necessary step in any DNA Confirmation. You will need to record and later report: the subject's name and WikiTree ID. For example: among a set of siblings, their Most Recent Common Ancestors are mom and dad. Your maternal and paternal grandparents are MRCAs of all of your so-related 1st cousins. With yDNA and mtDNA, genealogically-significant DNA matches can extend back to the earliest French presence in the New World, and then back to France.

• Confirm — to attest to the truth or validity of something on the basis of evidence
• Presume — to attest to the likelihood or validity of something on the basis of probability
• Infer — to report a conclusion made on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

• Haplogroup — term of art. FTDNA reports typically include a confirmed or a presumed DNA haplogroup. Haplogroups share well-defined patterns of DNA recombinations that allow them to be classified by names. The names can be as simple as A2, D1, or C1c for First Nations women, or H, T2, or H2a2a1a, for French women.
• Confirmed Haplogroup — term of art. A confirmed haplogroup means that your Y-DNA haplogroup has been confirmed through SNP or Big Y testing. FTDNA confirms that the sample matches this named Haplogroup within all reasonable bounds.
• Predicted Haplogroup — term of art. Your Y-DNA haplogroup is predicted if you have not taken any Y-DNA SNP tests or the Big Y test. A predicted haplogroup is the haplogroup which most closely resembles your haplotype (comprised of the first 12 STRs tested). FTDNA is stating that the sample seems to fit the named Haplogroup, but reserves judgement pending further testing and/or development of the haplotree.

• Inferred Haplogroup — an evidence-based logical argument and conclusion that the Confirmed Haplogroup of one person is by blood relationship also the haplogroup of a second person. For example, one might infer that the mtDNA haplogroup of a child is also the mtDNA haplogroup of the child's mother and siblings, or; the yDNA haplogroup of a son infers the same haplogroup in his father and brothers. Inference is not a reliable indicator for obvious genealogical reasons. (See Inferred DNA Haplogroup Reporting)

• Privacy — WikiTree expects us to respect the privacy of every other person, whether they are members or non-members. Sharing one's DNA kit identifier and haplogroup information is a personal choice. As a matter of policy, only a WikiTree member can enter their own DNA kit information (see below). Only a WikiTree member can consent to having their WikiTree identity and/or DNA information used in DNA Confirmations.

Your DNA Kit at FTDNA

Protect your DNA kit at FTDNA. Join projects. We recommend that you grant Limited access to FTDNA project administrators. Minimum access is much too restrictive, so much so that you might as well not be a member. Advanced access gives the administrators unlimited access to your DNA files, your contact info, and your beneficiary information.

There may be occasions when it may be necessary to grant Advanced access to a project administrator so that they can assist with account settings. There may also be occasions when you may be asked to grant Advanced access so that a project administrator can download your DNA file and upload it to another site, such as mitoYDNA and/or yFull. We advise caution. You are perfectly capable of managing the settings of your own account and/or downloading DNA files. If you need help, just reach out and ask. There is rarely any need for anyone to grant Advanced access their personal DNA kit.

Settings

FTDNA Account Settings Header.

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Group Project Profile.

Enable these settings. This will allow your DNA kit to participate in the groups you join and to allow the group administrators to examine the details of your kit results in sufficient detail to determine whether there is a match, and how close it is, very specifically. This is just what we want DNA project administrators to be doing. If you don't grant these permissions, then your kit will not be useful in DNA matching or DNA Confimations.

Try to ensure that your kit information is complete and helpful, with information such as names, dates, and places of your EKAs. FTDNA unhelpfully labels the fields as Direct Paternal Ancestor and Direct Maternal Ancestor, but it is where you declare your EKA on that line.

Direct Paternal Ancestor a.k.a Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA).

Account Settings — Privacy & Sharing

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mtDNA Match Levels. All Levels.

Join the GFR & WikiTree research group on FTDNA

If you have taken a yDNA and/or mtDNA test at FTDNA, you can join the GFR & WikiTree research group on FTDNA, allowing WikiTree's DNA administrators to see your test results and compare your kit with other kits in the WikiTree research group. This can be helpful to get an independent person to verify the DNA match comparison, which can be recorded as part of the DNA Confirmation statement.

Join the Mothers of Acadia research group on FTDNA

If you have taken an mtDNA test at FTDNA and have an Acadian matrilineal line, you are eligible to join the Mothers of Acadia (MoA) research group on FTDNA. By joining the MoA group at FTDNA, you will be allowing MoA's DNA administrators to see your test results and compare your kit with other kits in the MoA research group.

Join other groups as appropriate

• NfldLab-mtDNA
• Genealogie Quebec
• Maine Genealogical
• C_Haplogroup_mtDNA
• Acadia-Métis Mothers
• Acadian AmerIndian Ancestry
• American Indian Proj
• Haplogroup D1

DNA Inheritance Patterns

Following are screenshots of a Fan Chart display of DNA inheritance patterns for males and females. If the xDNA, yDNA, and mtDNA icons are hard to see, you can always look at them yourself in the Fan Chart app. We have provided the WikiTree IDs of our subjects, but you can use your own if you prefer.

yDNA on the patrilineal line at the left. Male DNA Inheritance. (Louis Riel-5). mtDNA on the matrilineal line at the right.

Female DNA Inheritance. (Marie Blanche Leblanc-7049). mtDNA on the matrilineal line at the right.

Sources

1. ↑ Stephen White's Founding Mothers of Acadia (Accessed 25 Nov 2023) http://www.acadian-home.org/Founding-Mothers-of-Acadia.html
2. ↑ Denis Savard, Stephen A White, Lucie LeBlanc Consentino, Acadie ADN / Acadian DNA (Mothers of Acadia) Signatures ADN Radegonde LAMBERT (m France/Acadie v 1640 Jean BLANCHARD), Accessed 20 Nov 2023.
3. ↑ Beauregard, Denis, Administrator Catalogue de signatures ADN/DNA Signatures Catalogue SAVOIE, François m 1651 Catherine LEJEUNE, Accessed 20 Nov 2023.
4. ↑ Québec mtDNA Project mtDNA test results. (Accessed 26 Oct 2021.)
5. ↑ Beauregard, Denis. FrancoGene.com mtDNA Triangulation TRI0397. “TRI0397 .., .. (Amérindienne/Native), .. m ca1720 .. BOUDEAU”. mtDNA Haplogroup D1. Includes mtDNA signature, genealogical pedigrees of testers with lines of descent through Marie and Louise. Added to the catalogue : 2019-09-09.