Quick & Dirty Trees for DNA Matches
I’ve talked about building pedigrees for my AncestryDNA matches and how it’s helped to identify some of my unknown ancestors. I haven’t really gone into detail about what all that entails.
Blaine Bettinger of The Genetic Genealogist shared a video he made about how he builds a quick and dirty tree for his genetic matches to identify their shared ancestor. Click the video below to watch or go to YouTube for a larger version.
When I build a tree, I do something a little different.
First, I usually build the tree in my Reunion file since it’s my go-to for my genealogy research. I can make the connection to shared ancestors and track genetic cousins in the database, even—now that I’ve figured out how—quickly find the genetic matches I’ve identified who descend from a shared couple.
Second, I don’t get information from family trees. I usually search for online records, using relevant sources based on the target’s lifetime. These may include Ancestry, FamilySearch, Fold3, Internet Archive, Google, Facebook, and other websites that compile information.
I search for just enough information from records to reliably know I’ve got a specific family group, then move on to keep going up the family tree. The amount of research varies from family to family based on what’s available and how easy it is to find. I only really use trees when I’m totally stuck and searching for clues.
I guess my process is not quick & dirty by this standard. But it isn’t up to the Genealogical Proof Standard either. It falls somewhere in between. That’s why I usually hedge my statements or refer to relationships as being a “working hypothesis.”
However, these trees—either the quick & dirty method Blaine outlines or my method—provide an excellent starting point for breaking through brick walls in your family tree using your DNA matches. They help you to identify connections so that you can focus your research in the right area, saving time, effort, and maybe even some money.
Cite This Page:
Kris Hocker, "Quick & Dirty Trees for DNA Matches," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 25 Oct 2018 (https://www.krishocker.com/quick-dirty-trees-for-dna-matches/ : accessed 29 Apr 2024).
Content copyright © 2018 Kris Hocker. Please do not copy without prior permission, attribution, and link back to this page.
2 Replies to “Quick & Dirty Trees for DNA Matches”
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After you have made the quick and dirty trees, do you merge them in once things are firmed up with documentation? How do you keep track of the different trees that are still waiting for more proof? If in something like Rootsfinder or Ancestry, I can see the hints helping out.
I guess that depends on your goals. I work in my main working tree on Ancestry and my main Reunion file, adding documentation as I go (hints are really helpful). That way if I find the connection, I can hook the lines together. Other people create separate files/trees.
I track my DNA matches using a spreadsheet, assigning them to surnames. I generally focus on specific lines to research, one at a time. When I’ve identified a common ancestor, I put that information, including the line of descent from that ancestor, into the spreadsheet. That helps me to identify individuals still to research. Since the floating branches in my files are related to DNA matches, I can find them by looking up the match my database.
I do have one separate tree on Ancestry for the descendants of Conrad Schneider and Catharine Betz. I’m researching the group because DNA suggests I, too, descend from them, but I have no idea how. I set up a separate tree to keep it focused on one family, but honestly it can get confusing when I’m adding a new person or hint which tree to add it to. I kinda think I should have just kept it all in one tree.
~Kris