• Autosomal DNA or At DNA:
  • This is the type of DNA you will primarily do your searching with.
  • At DNA is made up of 22 of your chromosomes and sometimes the X chromosome is included by the DNA company.
  • At DNA is inherit from both of your parents.
  • You get some At DNA from all your close ancestors - out to at least great great great grandparents - on all branches of your tree. You may or may not get At DNA from more distant ancestors.
  • Parents pass down different At DNA to each child which is why siblings (except identical twins etc) don’t have identical At DNA. The amount of At DNA you get from each of your ancestor varies.
  • At DNA tests are provided at ancestryDNA, My HeritageDNA, Family Tree DNA, and 23andMe as well as other companies.
  • PLEASE LEARN MORE HERE:  Search Step 5: Learn About DNA

• Y DNA:
  • Y DNA or a Y DNA haplogroup might help your search. Beginning searchers should not start with a Y DNA test
  • Y DNA is one of the sex or gender chromosomes. It is only found in males and is what makes them male.
  • Y DNA is passed from father to son to son. It is not inherited from any other close or distant ancestors on any other branch of your tree.
  • If you are a male searcher or a male descendant of a male adoptee, donor conceived, or person with an NPE, a Y-DNA test at Family Tree DNA might be helpful in determining a birth father's surname or who he is. It can also be used to separate paternal from maternal At DNA matches.
  • Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) provides a comprehensive Y DNA test with matches. 23andMe and Living DNA provide Y DNA haplogroups but no Y DNA matches.

• Mitochondrial DNA, or mt DNA:
  • With rare exception, this type of DNA is not helpful in a search. Searchers should consult the DNAAdoption Team prior to purchasing this test.
  • Mt DNA is primarily passed down from a mother to all of her children but recent research has shown that fathers also can pass down Mt DNA to their children.
  • Mt DNA remains largely unchanged through the generations.
  • FTDNA provides a comprehensive Mt DNA test with matches. 23andMe and Living DNA provide Mt DNA haplogroups but no Mt DNA matches.

More can be found Here

We inherit a 50% of our DNA from each parent.  That also means there was 50% of our parent's DNA we didn't inherit.  The same is true for our parents. They received 50% of their from their parents. That means that while we might expect to have received exactly 25% of our DNA from each of our grandparents, it how much will vary, in some cases, alot!

Due to the randomness of how DNA is passed down down, you may only receive  26% from your maternal grandmother and 24% from your maternal grandfather. It still adds up to 50% that you got from your Mom

But on your Dad's side, you may have only received 10% from your paternal grandmother and 40% from your paternal grand father. It still adds up to 50% that your received from your father.

Take a look at the picture. You can see how you received different amounts of your DNA from different grandparents and great grandparents.

This also explains why your siblings, other than identicals, have different ethnicity estimates and look similar but different than you.  You each received some of the same DNA and some different DNA from their parents and grandparents and so on.

A “Shared Match” is a match with whom both you and a person in your list of matches share DNA.

Shared Matches are important because they help you see which of your matches are related to each other and help you form clusters. Both of these help you figure out how you are related to your matches and where you or they fit in the tree.

Learn More About Clustering Here:  Search Step 7: Pedigree Triangulation

Some of the DNA companies use different terms for Shared Match – but they are the same thing.

• Shared Match - Ancestry, My Heritage
• In Common With (ICW) Match - FTDNA
• Relatives in Common - 23andMe, Living DNA
• People Who Match Both Kits – GEDMATCH

Best Practice: When communicating with your matches and others about a Shared Match, it is best to use the term of the company you are contacting them through.

Example: At Ancestry, use “Shared Match". At FTDNA use “ICW Match”

Each DNA company has different criteria for what is an isn’t a Shared Match.

Notable Limitation: Ancestry doesn't include matches less than 20 cM unless the match is also in your Thruline.

Shared Matches, Clusters, and Triangulation Groups

Triangulation Groups identify the segment(s) or piece(s) of DNA you inherited from a particular common ancestor.  This can be especially helpful for figuring out more distant mysteries.

A Cluster includes Shared Matches both with and without overlapping DNA segments.

Triangulation Groups are a specific type of Cluster in which everyone is a Shared Match AND share the same overlapping segments of DNA.

Not all DNA companies offer the same services for Triangulation Groups

Note: You must have access to the chromosome browser data to identify Triangulation Groups.

• MyHeritage automatically identifies triangulation groups in their unlocked tools and will identify the triangulated segments on the chromosome browser.
• GEDmatch will identify Triangulation Groups by running a report available with a Tier 1

Notable Limitation: You cannot identify Triangulation Groups on AncestryDNA.

Learn More about Segment Triangulation Here:  Applied Autosomal DNA (201) Class

The first thing to know is the term "Centimorgan". It is a unit of measure of DNA. Think of a centimorgan like an inch or millimeter.  Each of piece of DNA, or segment, is measured in centimorgans. The DNA companies add up all the different pieces of DNA you share with a match. This total is call your "Shared centimorgans" or Shared cM" or "Shared DNA". Some companies will even give you the length of the longest segment.  For now, let's focus on the total amount of shared DNA.

To learn more about the tools that estimate relationships, please go to the Tools Section

Contacting DNA matches is one of the activities that you may have to do during your DNA search. This can be intimidating and scary at first.

Important: If you have a match that is a parent or looks like a sibling, before reaching out review Step 9: Prepare for Contact and Step 10: Make Contact and Join our Group for further guidance .  This is the only chance you have to make the first contact with your birth family. Make sure to do it right.

Best Practice:  Before contacting any matches, try to use The Methodology described in Step 7: Pedigree Triangulation and Step 8: Connect the Trees to identify your birth parents / family.  Due to the secrets involved with adoption, donor conception, or misattributed parentage, your matches are unlikely to be able to provide quick answers and could poison a possible future connection.

When contacting a match, the goal is to give them enough detail that they respond but not so much that they are scared off or don't respond.
Try to be both specific and vague at the same time.

• adoption, donor conception, or misattributed parentage
• possible relationships
• that you are searching

Only after building rapport and trying to find out if if your match would be receptive or hostile should you "spill the beans".
Below is an example of a basic message:

Hi Davie,
We are a match at AncestryDNA.  Our shared matches have Smith, Jones, and Williams in the trees but I haven't figured out how we connect. Would you help me in trying to find our connection. I can be reached more easily at sarah@email.org  I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sarah

Best Practice: Always make sure to mentioned the applicable company(s) where you match
Best Practice: Provide your personal email or other way to get in touch outside of the company's email system

Consideration:  Sometimes it is best not to disclose your circumstances or why you are searching even after building rapport with a match. Use your best judgement.

More considerations and other message templates for contacting matches can be found below:

• Louise Coakley’s Blog post
• Kitty Cooper’s Blog post
• DNA Explained’s Blog post 

Placeholder for considerations or example letter for contacting matches via company email (Ancestry, My Heritage, 23andMe, LivingDNA) vs regular email (FTDNA and GEDMatch)
Placeholder for example letter for match with a good tree
Placeholder for example letter for match with a no or bad tree (use only after first trying to identify your parent using Pedigree Triangulation)

Ethnicity Estimates are the candy of the DNA world!  They are mostly fun and occasionally they can be helpful.

The first thing to remember is that they are estimates.  Don't go trading in your kilt for lederhosen - but you could trade in your kilt for a kimono!

Kitty Cooper has written an excellent blog about Ethnicity Estimates, explaining what they are and why they are different between the companies. Click Here 

Roberta Estes also has an excellent blog about Ethnicity Estimates.  Click Here

But which company is "accurate" or "the best"?  All the companies have their strengths and weaknesses.   The image below is of the same person who tested at "the big four".   They all agree on the continent but not much more.

Can ethnicity estimates help me search or do genetic genealogy?

Sometimes.  When you have ancestors that are from different continents or one grandparent or great grandparent that comes from different genetic community than the others, such as Askenazi Jewish, then ethnicity may be helpful.

Join our private and secure Group to learn more.

The Chart below shows who men can inherit their X chromosome from

Learn about how the X Chromosome can help separate matches between maternal and paternal

What is a research tree?

How do I build a research at ancestry?

How do I build a research tree at My Heritage?

Single tree or separate trees?

Do I make my tree Public, Private, or Private and Unsearchable?

There are several tools that will automatically build a tree.   They should be used with much caution.

Ancestry ancestor suggestions

My Heritage ancestor suggestions

Genetic Affairs

DNA Painter

What are some of the best practices and considerations?

Individual Trees.  Can use for research and tree building. Trees are integrated with DNA.

Learn how to (insert things and links)

Individual Trees.  Can use for research and tree building. Trees are integrated with DNA.

Learn how to (insert things and links)

Single World Tree.  Can use for research. Tree is not integrated with DNA

Learn how to (insert things and links)

Single World Tree.  Can use for research. Tree is connected with DNA kits on GEDmatch.

Learn how to (insert things and links)

Single World Tree.  Can use for research. Tree is interfaced with kits at Family Tree DNA.

Learn how to (insert things and links)

Individual Trees.  Can use for research and tree building. Not integrated with a DNA company. Plan in place to interface with Living DNA.

Learn how to (insert things and links)

Several Third (3rd) Party Tools can also help you make using the trees and DNA together even more easier.

Learn how to link a  ancestryDNA kit to an ancestry tree

Several Third (3rd) Party Tools can also help you make using the trees and DNA together even more easier.

Learn how to link a My Heritage DNA kit to a My Heritage tree

Several Third (3rd) Party Tools can help you make using the trees and DNA together easier.

Learn how to link a FTDNA kit to the Geni  One-World Tree

Several Third (3rd) Party Tools can also help you make using the trees and DNA together easier.

Learn how to link a kit at GEDmatch to a GEDCOM tree file.

The trees at 23andMe are initially generated by computer algorithms based on available match data and estimated relationships.

Warning: These trees are highly speculative and should be considered with caution. Some users correct relationships and add additional information to their trees, but you cannot count on that.

DNA2Tree ($)
Automates some genetic genealogy techniques.
Only works with AncestryDNA
Only works on Apple Iphone or Ipad.  Available in Apple App Store

The four automated functions of DNA2Tree are:

• Gathers DNA Matches and Trees
• Clusters DNA Matches
• Finds Common Ancestors (CA) between matches - Note: Some CAs are yours, others are not
  
• Builds Birth Family Tree

DNAGEDCOM's GWORKS

AncestryDNA Thrulines

ThruLines is Ancestry’s newest tool to estimate relationships based on your tree and the trees of your DNA matches. will often show you multiple relationship paths.

Use Thrulines with caution as Roberta Estes explains Here

My Heritage DNA Theory of Relativity (ToR)

Theory of Relativity is MyHeritage’s newest tool to estimate relationships based on your tree and the trees of your DNA matches. ToR will often show you multiple relationship paths.

Roberta Estes explaines more Here

Several tools can build a tree or branches and identify common ancestors automatically.  This can be a significant time saver in your search.

WARNING: Most, but not all, of these tools are using the trees of other people and too many times those trees are wrong. Enough of those bad trees will send you in the wrong direction and make it harder to find your birth family.

So let these programs build a tree and then evaluate it as though you were a defense attorney.

Embedded Tools

• Ancestry ThruLines- automatically identifies branches to matches but does not add the branch to your tree.
• My Heritage Theories of Relativity ($) - automatically identifies branches to matches but does not add the branch to your tree.
• 23andMe Family Tree Feature - builds that tree exclusively based on your dna matches and their predicted relationships to each other and you. Does not use your match's trees. Warning: These trees are highly speculative and should be considered with caution

3rd Party Tools

• Genetic Affairs($) - can build a downloadable tree after automatically gathering and clustering your matches
• DNA2Tree ($) - can build a downloadable tree after automatically gathering and clustering your matches. Automates tree search for common ancestors. Only works with ancestryDNA. Only works on Apple iphones and ipads

Clustering is a process used to group your DNA matches based on them matching each other and you. It is very simple way to identify matches that share common ancestors with each other but not the rest of you matches.

In theory and usually in practice matches should fall into one of four clusters - one for each grandparent. You will also have smaller sub-clusters for more distant ancestors.

Warning: Clustering may not be reliable for people who have endogamy, pedigree collapse (consanguinity), or any other group that tended to intermarry.

Tools provide automated clustering, but we recommend you do clustering by hand at least once to understand the process and possible refine your results more than an automated program would. Some of the clustering tools are quite simple and some are advanced.

• The Leeds Method. Manual clustering based on grandparents. Very helpful for searchers. Read through her blog for additional ideas on refining and reorienting your search
• Jim Bartlett’s instructions  How Manually Cluster
• The McGuire Method   Of note, some of the McGuire Method process has been automated by WATO
• What Are the Odds ($)
• DNA2Tree - automatically gathers and clusters your matches. Automates tree search for common ancestors. Only works with ancestryDNA. Only works on Apple iphones and ipads
• Genetic Affairs
• RootsFinder: an older and more advanced tool

Each company provides an estimate on the the most likely relationship you have with a match. They all note that, with the exception of parent/child or identicals (twin, triplets, ect), the predicated relationship has a range of possibilities. The relationship estimate for the same match can be different at each company for several reasons:

• Different Chips (different places on the DNA is tested)
• Different Algorithms
• Native vs Transfer Sample (did you test directly or transfer a test in?)

Third party tools try to improve the accuracy of these estimates, which improves the accuracy of figuring out where someone fits in a tree.

Third Party Tools :

• DNA Painter’s Shared CM Project
• DNAAdoption’s Relationship Estimator
• Add more about each tool

Shared Matches
Thrulines

Shared Matches
How Matches Are Related
Theory of Family Relativity
Triangulated Segments

In-Common-With (ICW) Matches    also called Shared Matches
A-Matrix

Relatives in Common  aka Shared Matches
How Matches are Related
Your Family Tree (discontinued Beta)

People Who Match Both or 1 of Two Kits aka Shared Matches
Are My Parents Related
Triangulation
Multiple Kit Analysis (MKA)

DNAGEDCOM Client
ADSA
GWORKS
Genetic Family

Shared CM Tool
WATO
Cluster Auto Painter
Cluster Formatter
Individual Match Filter

AutoCluster
Auto Tree
Auto Scan

Why should you read blogs?

Bloggers quickly evaluate changes in the major websites, tools, and techniques. They read the fine print and help explain the changes in a manner that searchers or genetic genealogists can easily understand.

Find a few blogs you like and follow them.

The blogs recommended below are, in our opinion, the best of the best for searchers and genetic genealogists.

DNA-Explained

Kitty Cooper’s Blog

DNA Testing Advisor 

Segmentology

Genealem’s Genetic Genealogy

The Legal Genealogist

The Genetic Genealogist

Through the Trees

Not all blogs are as helpful as they could be. If you have a question about a blog that is not on the list, please Contact Us about the blog and we will gladly provide our insight and opinion.

Genetic genealogy websites can be helpful in answering questions such as:
How is DNA passed down (see our DNA tab), what is recombination, what do long or short segments indicate, why is the X chromosome useful or not useful? What do I do with these DNA matches?

Some websites focus on technical issues, others try to create a sense of community. Some offer webinars, workshops, videos or discussion areas.
Most of them are trying to help make the science easier to understand.

While some sites are free to use, many require donations or subscriptions.
As always, check the site’s credentials before uploading any personal information.

Our recommended list is below.

International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) Wiki

Board for Certification of Genealogists

Not all sites are created equal. If you have a question about a site that is not on the list, please Contact Us and we will gladly provide our insight and opinion.

Finding those that are truly helpful can be confusing and overwhelming

There are different types of sites dealing with adoption:

• Search Support: Where you can get help with a search. Many of the commercial sites charge fees - some fees can be quite exorbitant
• Advocacy: These organizations work to change adoption laws. Adopee Rights Law is an example
• Registries: almost all states and some countries have them. Commercial registry sites often charge a fee. See Step 2 for more information.
• Communities: Deal with a specific organization or individual, Homestead and Georgia Tann for example, that were facilitating adoptions. The organizations usually provide support and search help. Many have moved to social media platforms.
• Everything else:  Most of the rest have other purposes and are unhelpful for searching, contact and reunion.

While some sites are free to use, many require donations, subscriptions, or charge fees for their services.
NOTE: Look for experienced and ethical organizations and individuals. Please check with others before you hire anyone.
As always, check the site’s credentials before uploading any personal information.

Our recommended list is below.

American Adoption Congress

Concerned United Birth Parents

First Mother’s Forum

ISRR Adoption Reunion Registry

Donor Sibling Registry

U.K. Adoption Records

Not all organizations are created equal. If you have a question about a site that is not on the list, please Contact Us and we will gladly provide our insight and opinion.

Cyndi's List = African-American Resources
African-American Slavery
African American Libraries
FamilySearch.org Wiki
FamilySearch.org
Freedmen’s Bureau
Slave List of St Mary’s County Maryland

50 Free Genealogy Websites

Access Genealogy

Archives.org  The National Archives - Lots of Records that are important

Open Library  Copyright Free Books

DAR Search - Search the Daughters of the Revolution's site 

Family Search - One world tree provided by the LDS church, see if the person you are looking for is in the tree

Fold3 - U.S. Military Records

Genealogy Bank - Newspapers

Genealogy First Names

Genealogy In Time

Guild of one name studies

Jewish History Website

My Genealogy Hound

On Line Searchable Death Records and Indexes

Open Library

Professional world-wide humanities and social sciences mega portal

Search for Free Genealogy Websites

Steve Morse’ Quick Links to Genealogical Resource

Ancestor Search Using Search Engines

Arizona Genealogy

Arkansas Gravestones

California Archives

California Genealogical Society and Library

California San Francisco Genealogy

Colorado Adoption Records Information – Colorado information is complex. This is a guide to the different years of birth or adoption

Colorado Archives

Colorado Denver Public Library

Connecticut State Library

Delaware Archives

Family Tree 2014 List of Search sites

Florida Legal Notices

Florida Memory Project

Florida Searches  – paid searches through CHS

Georgia Digital Library

Georgia’s Virtual Vault

Hawaii Archives

Idaho Archive

Idaho Children’s Home Society

Illinois New Adoption Law

Illinois State Archive

Indiana Library

Indiana State Archives

Iowa Archives

Iowa Searches

Maryland Court Document

Michigan Searching

Missouri Birth and Death Records

New Colorado Laws Passed

New York City Births In New York Library and at this site. More recent records in the library

New York Court Records

New York Rochester Vital Records

New York Town Records

North Carolina Research

NYC Vitals

Ohio Obituary Searches

Oklahoma Genealogical Society – State Resources Page – See ODL Digital Prairie and Genealogy Pages

Oregon Statute on Adoption Info

Pennsylvania – Getting non-ID in Pennsylvania

Reunion Registry for Delaware, Maryland and Virginia

Tennessee State Library and Archives

Texas – Identify Court of Adoption

Texas -Early Texas Marriages

Texas Adoption Agencies That Turned Over Records

Texas Adoption Registry

West Virginia Vital Records

Newspapers are great sources for the information needed to build trees and locate relatives.

Newspapers have articles that may list dates, parents, siblings, children, marriages, and maiden names.  Military mentions and Happy Birthday notices may provide needed information. Obituaries, marriage announcements, and court events are usually the most beneficial.

There are many newspapers online. If you can't find what you are looking for online, local libraries and local and state historical societies may have the needed newspaper archive offline.  Ask for the research librarian or newspaper archivist respectively for help researching. Most libraries and societies require a small fee to conduct the research.

Start by identifying the name of the newspapers in the location where the person you are researching was. Wikipedia Newspaper Index is a good starting point.  Once you know the newspaper(s) to look in, provide as much known information as possible including date, date range, names, relatives, etc.

Reminder: Many events are printed after the date the event occurred on. Using a data range can help increase the likelihood of finding an article.

Links to newspaper websites

Genealogy Bank ($)

Newspapers.com ($)

Newspaper Archive ($)

Library of Congress - Chronicling America

Elephind.com

Google Newspapers

New York Newspapers

Brooklyn Eagle Brooklyn, New York 1841-1902

New York Northern NY Newspapers

Pennsylvania Historic Newspapers

California Digital Newspaper Collection

Sites with links to on-line newspaper sites and obituary sites

Wikipedia Newspapers Index

Historical US Newspapers

The Ancestor Hunt

Legacy.com Links to obits and newspapers

Obitsarchive.com

Rootsweb Obituaries