Using the GWorks tool for Unknown Parentage Searches via DNA testing

KITTY COOPER
blog.kittycooper.com

Build private, unsearchable family trees down from each common couple to find where they intersect and/or someone in the right place at the right time.

Sometimes you get lucky right away

What relationship is 1,614 cM?

What relationship is 1,614 cM?

What relationship is 1,614 cM?

Half Sibling or Uncle/Aunt/Niece/Nephew (Nibling)?

  • Ages of the two people, what's possible?
  • How Many Segments > 100 cM?
    (paternal half siblings will have 1-3+, niblings usually 0-1)
  • Number of Segments from DNAadoption chart
  • Can the X chromosome help?
    (Sisters with same dad = full X)
  • Can the haplogroup help?
    Same mother shares mtDNA as does any maternal sibling
    Same Y DNA haplogroup for a brother or paternal uncle
If you have a second cousin match with a tree, use GWorks to figure out which set of great grandparents are the ones!
people used to try the mirror tree approach and it sometimes is helpful

If you can get a Gedcom of your cousins tree that is easiest.

Uncheck the box that lets the public see your tree

http://blog.kittycooper.com/2016/10/text-to-gedcom-using-ahnen2ged/

Look through the family trees of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cousin DNA matches for a common ancestral couple or two.

Blaine Bettinger Relationship Chart

If you have a second cousin match with a tree, try the mirror tree approach

http://www.borninneworleans.com/how-to/mirror-tree-questions-answered/

or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyR_aBl89mId/

If you can get a Gedcom of your cousins tree that is easiest.

Uncheck the box that lets the public see your tree

If you did not yet do this, use GWorks to gather Your Ancestry Data

Enter your ancestry username and password

Select Quick and 4th Cousin

Once you are logged in the profile name(s) show up

Gather Ancestry Data

Click Gather Matches, when it finishes click Gather Trees, when done click Gather ICW

http://blog.kittycooper.com/2016/10/text-to-gedcom-using-ahnen2ged/

Clean up the Match type column

Change every Exact no Death to Exact
Then delete duplicate lines

Remove duplicate trees

Trees with the same name on them = different members same family

Tree Building

  • Click on one of those trees in Gworks manage your tree
  • Find that ancestor
  • Copy that ancestor and spouse(s) to your hidden tree
  • You may need to use tree hints to pull in more information