YDNA can help you find surnames that go with a paternal family line. So helpful when trying to break down a brick wall for a male ancestor! Learn how YDNA testing helped Kathleen with not one but TWO genealogy brick walls. YDNA testing can be a useful tool when researching paternal lineage. While...
Can DNA help Linda determine whether an enslaver was an ancestor's father? Finding a 4x great grandfather using autosomal DNA can be tricky. Read Diahan Southard's tips for Linda as she explores this question. “Can DNA help me learn the identity of my 4X great grandfather?” What a great question!...
Can you use mitochondrial DNA for ancestry? Yes, mtDNA can be useful in genetic genealogy research, though it is a less commonly used type of DNA. Kelli shares mtDNA research tips and strategies. How many times have you heard someone say that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) doesn’t help with genealogy?...
Finding 3XGG with DNA is easier when you use proven genetic genealogy strategies. Here, we see how splitting genetic networks and the Leftover Strategy are useful for finding mystery ancestors. But there was a key thing Clare did first that improved her chances of success! Clare came to the DNA...
Inspiring DNA story! Thanks to the heroic actions of a DNA tester, two sisters who both matched him--at different testing companies--have been reunited. Read this wonderful DNA story below. Not everyone who has taken a DNA test puts their results on multiple DNA testing sites. Many times, people...
Whether the children of Sally Hemings were fathered by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson was debated for more than 200 years until YDNA testing provided new evidence. Read more about this presidential paternity case and the results of a YDNA test. In January 2000--more than 20 years ago--a research...
Got Finnish DNA? Explore your matches at MyHeritage, known for relative strength amongst Scandinavian DNA testers (think Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, etc). Read about Diahan's mother-in-law's experience using MyHeritage and meeting her Finnish relatives. My mother-in-law does not sleep. Even...
DNA can tell us many stories about our families and where we come from. Learn some storytelling tips and see examples of DNA stories from Your DNA Guide's team in this post. What’s your DNA story? Your DNA story is still unfolding. After all, you’re still discovering the people and places you’re...
Does your genealogy brick wall need DNA to make a real breakthrough? Maybe. Consider this success story--and how you might find the DNA match who may hold the clues you need to your family history. Sometimes the genealogy records that you need to break down brick walls aren’t easily accessible....
MyHeritage DNA AutoClusters tool can help you target the DNA matches you want to work with--and find unique matches who may not have tested anywhere else. Here's how Kelli used MyHeritage DNA's AutoCluster tool to do just that. MyHeritage DNA is one of many DNA testing services to which you can...
Is my grandfather really my biological grandfather? Vicky's DNA test results made her ask this intriguing question. Here are strategies she learned to use her DNA to look for answers. While looking at her DNA results, Vicky Grover noticed she had no apparent connections on her maternal...
How can half-siblings of your relatives be "better" than whole ones (at least, from a genetic genealogy perspective?) Here's what Joy learned about using descendants of half-siblings to cluster the shared matches she wanted. How can half-siblings be better than whole ones? At least, from a genetic...
YDNA surname project administrators help other project members and answer questions. But how do they learn do work with surname project data? Here's a resource to help you become a better YDNA surname project administrator--or just work with your own YDNA data more effectively. Once you or a...
Considering a YDNA test upgrade? It can be well worth it. Here's what happened after Kelli updated her husband's YDNA test. And then--after a little patience--along came an exciting new match! See what YDNA can do for your research questions. Have you ever had a DNA surprise that felt like...
Genetic distance is a key clue for helping you understand what makes a good YDNA match. Read Ginny’s story to learn how the YDNA for Genealogy Course helped her better evaluate YDNA matches and know which ones are worth further attention. YDNA can be a wonderful tool to help you better understand...