Checking Your DNA Results
Your Cousins Explained…
© Copyright Lexabean, LLC
By Rich Pollner
Rich Pollner is a recipient of a MSE from an Ivy League graduate school and has been involved in the genealogy community for over 20 years. His interests
started with his own family tree and has grown to include tools for tracking your tree, sharing your family story and getting to know your family. Through the
years he has tried many genealogy products covering a wide range of categories. He can be reached at rpollner@CousinsClub.org
Getting Started
I’ve been working on my family tree for over 20 years, but ended up becoming a late adopter of DNA testing primarily because to give the products a chance to mature and to give me the time to evaluate the product offerings. I finally decided to do the tests at the urging of my kids who were very interested in seeing what their results were. Before deciding on which DNA test to use, I wanted to do some research to find out which company offered the best tests. So, I read every independent review I could find and tapped into my rather large extended family to see which ones they used and what their experience was. For a number of reasons, AncestryDNA quickly became the obvious choice. I particularly liked their research tools and many integrated options. So, we ordered a kit, did the saliva test and patiently waited for the results. I have over 1,000 family members on my family tree in Ancestry.com, so I already knew where my family was from and over many years have found Cousins all over the world. But, I was curious to see how the DNA testing aligned with what I already knew about the family and if I could find any new Cousins. So, after waiting several weeks the results came back. The good news is we found no links to any serial killers. Also - my kids are my kids (no messy mix ups at the hospital or other craziness to deal with). But - unfortunately no connections to Brad Pitt, Robert Redford or Albert Einstein (so no good looking or smart genes to pass on).
DNA Matches
DNA Relationship Esti-
mate
Actual Relationship
2nd - 3rd cousin
2nd cousin
3rd - 4th cousin
2nd cousin
3rd - 4th cousin
3rd cousin
3rd - 5th cousin
3rd cousin 1x removed
4th - 6th cousin
3rd cousin
1st cousin 2x removed to
2nd cousin 2x removed
2nd cousin 1x removed
1st cousin 2x removed to
2nd cousin 2x removed
3rd cousin 1x removed
No relation found
5th cousin
DNA testing use cases and a look behind the scenes
If you are interested on how DNA testing is used or what happens behind the scenes, here are few interesting articles: • Genetic Testing: How DNA Analysis is used in Medicine, Genealogy & Forensics • Twins get some ‘mystifying’ results when they put 5 DNA ancestry kits to the test • What happens when you take a genealogy test (video)Summary
AncestryDNA is clearly the best option not just for DNA testing, but for researching your family history and tree.What I found the most useful has been: • The ability to find new Cousins. • The integration they have with their other research tools • The reports and maps you can generate • The options for linking to my family tree (both online and offline with Family Tree Maker)How Accurate Are The Relationship Estimates?
I reached out to my Cousins to find out who else has had their DNA tested, which products they used and what their experience was. Out of over 150 Cousins on my mailing list and in the Facebook group, I found 15 who had their DNA tested so I tried finding them in my AncestryDNA matches to see how accurate the relationship estimates were. These results are summarized in the table to the right. This is by no means scientific, but does shed some light on the accuracy of the results, which are reflective of the actual relationships. Not: Check out our Your Cousins Explained diagram for an explanation of these relationships (i.e. what is a 1st cousin 2x removed?).
Using Map My Cousins To Check DNA Ethnicity Results
Many of the DNA tests, including AncestryDNA, offer Ethnicity Estimates showing where your family came from on a world map. If you’ve done your own Family Tree, you can check how accurate these estimates are using the Cousins Club Map My Cousins application. This uses the information on your ancestors from your family tree to show on a world map where they were born, lived and died. You can filter by generation, see migration patterns and more. This is a useful comparison against the ethnicity estimates and can also give you some good ideas for future research on where your family is from.
Checking Your DNA Results
Your Cousins Explained…
I’ve been working on my family tree for over 20 years, but ended up
becoming a late adopter of DNA testing primarily because to give the
products a chance to mature and to give me the time to evaluate the
product offerings. I finally decided to do the tests at the urging of my
kids who were very interested in seeing what their results were.
Before deciding on which DNA test to use, I wanted to do some research
to find out which company offered the best tests. So, I read every
independent review I could find and tapped into my rather large
extended family to see which ones they used and what their experience
was.
For a number of reasons, AncestryDNA quickly became the obvious
choice. I particularly liked their research tools and many integrated
options. So, we ordered a kit, did the saliva test and patiently waited for
the results. I have over 1,000 family members on my family tree in
Ancestry.com, so I already knew where my family was from and over
many years have found Cousins all over the world. But, I was curious to
see how the DNA testing aligned with what I already knew about the
family and if I could find any new Cousins.
So, after waiting several weeks the results came back. The good news is
we found no links to any serial killers. Also - my kids are my kids (no
messy mix ups at the hospital or other craziness to deal with). But -
unfortunately no connections to Brad Pitt, Robert Redford or Albert
Einstein (so no good looking or smart genes to pass on).
Reviewing the results
I reached out to my Cousins to find out who else has had their DNA tested, which products they used and what their experience was. Out of over 150 Cousins on my mailing list and in the Facebook group, I found 15 who had their DNA tested so I tried finding them in my AncestryDNA matches to see how accurate the relationship estimates were. These results are summarized in the table below. This is by no means scientific, but does shed some light on the accuracy of the results, which are reflective of the actual relationships. Note: Check out our Your Cousins Explained diagram for an explanation of these relationships (i.e. what is a 1st cousin 2x removed?).DNA testing use cases and a look behind the scenes
If you are interested on how DNA testing is used or what happens behind the scenes, here are few interesting articles: • Genetic Testing: How DNA Analysis is used in Medicine, Genealogy & Forensics • Twins get some ‘mystifying’ results when they put 5 DNA ancestry kits to the test • What happens when you take a genealogy test (video)Summary
AncestryDNA is clearly the best option not just for DNA testing, but for researching your family history and tree. What I found the most useful has been: • The ability to find new Cousins. • The integration they have with their other research tools • The reports and maps you can generate • The options for linking to my family tree (both online and offline with Family Tree Maker)
DNA Matches
DNA Relationship Esti-
mate
Actual Relationship
2nd - 3rd cousin
2nd cousin
3rd - 4th cousin
2nd cousin
3rd - 4th cousin
3rd cousin
3rd - 5th cousin
3rd cousin 1x removed
4th - 6th cousin
3rd cousin
1st cousin 2x removed to 2nd
cousin 2x removed
2nd cousin 1x removed
1st cousin 2x removed to 2nd
cousin 2x removed
3rd cousin 1x removed
No relation found
5th cousin
Your Cousins Explained - my DNA journey
By Rich Pollner
Rich Pollner is a recipient of a MSE from an Ivy League graduate school
and has been involved in the genealogy community for over 20 years. His
interests started with his own family tree and has grown to include tools
for tracking your tree, sharing your family story and getting to know your
family. Through the years he has tried many genealogy products covering
a wide range of categories. He can be reached at
rpollner@CousinsClub.org
© Copyright Lexabean, LLC
