DNA Genealogy

[jarling]

Hello Wise Elders,
I've been doing a lot more work recently with DNA genealogy, and have several members of my family who have tested. I'd like to find a good way to notate in my GEDCOM when ancestors have been proven out by DNA. I've tried a couple of methods of my own:

First, I tried just putting the information in the Notes, which is fine, but won't show when I do a quick fan chart. Second, I usurped the "Suffix Title" field and put "DNA" where there was DNA proof of relationships, but then I was permanently alter names, which is not ideal. Last, I've created a custom field and attached it to "Facts", then I placed that new field "Inside the Couple Buttons" under Age and Relationship. I suppose this works ok, but I wonder if the collective wisdom has come up with any better ideas.

My dream field would be a dropdown (DNA Evidence: No(default)/Yes/Implied) with an accompanying notes field that would let me elaborate on the exact DNA cousins who connect through that ancestor. [And what I mean by "Implied" is in the case of DNA cousins who share, for example, a set of 4G grandparents, it is often not possible to tell if the DNA match comes from the 4G grandfather or 4G grandmother, so I mark both "Implied" until more evidence arrives.] Does anyone know if there is a way for me to create a custom dropdown and then place it on my Fan Charts?
Thanks,
Jeannette

[Bill McQuary]

Re: DNA Genealogy

Hello Wise Elders,
And what I mean by "Implied" is in the case of DNA cousins who share, for example, a set of 4G grandparents, it is often not possible to tell if the DNA match comes from the 4G grandfather or 4G grandmother, so I mark both "Implied" until more evidence arrives.

Thanks,
Jeannette

Jeannette,

There are two kinds of genealogical DNA tests: One, Y-DNA, traces the lineage of men from father to son through the generations. Y-DNA is sometimes referred to as "surname DNA" for this reason. Your male cousins that share your 4G grandfather's surname and have matching Y-DNA must be descendants of the same paternal 4G grandfather.

The other kind of genealogical DNA test, MtDNA, traces lineage from mother to daughter. It doesn't follow one family name except in rare cultures where husbands assume their bride's surname upon marriage. This is the test Oprah used to trace her female lineage back to a tribe in Africa. That line went from her to her mom and maternal grandmother through a dozen generations of women.

My point is, which type of test results you're looking at dictates whether a match points to a 4G grandfather or 4G grandmother.

Regards,
Bill

[donworth]

Re: DNA Genealogy

There is a third type of test, of course - Autosomal DNA.

Based on my experience, there is no such thing as an absolute proof with DNA (unless you're trying to prove that two people are immediate family to each other). Y-DNA is more reliable than autosomal, but even that doesn't give you an absolute proof which ancestor is the common one (it could be anyone along the male to male path and could vary in the number of generations back depending on how frequently the STRs mutated.) Autosomal is very ambiguous in that endogamy can really affect it and, if there is more than one way two people are related it is very hard to pin down which connection resulted in the shared DNA between them. In the end it's all about probabilities - just as with traditional genealogical records (which can also be wrong, of course!)

For these reasons I need much more than a simple proven or not proven switch - just about all of mine are implied or not implied and then there is a long explanation of who they match and how, who else is part of the triangulated group and what I have learned about them, etc. It's about the same as what I do for a traditional genealogy "proof" - I state what I THINK might be the case then I explain why I think so, but I also list any evidence to the contrary and leave it to the reader to decide whether my supposition is correct or not.

Which is a long way of saying, I put it all in the NOTES field. LOL

That said, it would be relatively easy for you to add a new FACT to your database and set that. You would need to tell each chart or report to include the fact in it's output. I know you can do that with the Register Report with the layout - but I don't see that option with the Fan chart.

[Dennis J. Cunniff]

Re: DNA Genealogy

I need much more than a simple proven or not proven switch ... Which is a long way of saying, I put it all in the NOTES field.

Seconded. The result of a genetic test is a fact; its implications are interpretations. Proven/not proven/disproven are all interpretations.

I keep DNA results in a "Genetics note", and when they seem significant, put my interpretation in a person's "Misc. note".

Notes are able to handle mtDNA results and Y-DNA SNPs and markers. Autosomal results can really only be recorded as results between two or more people.