I Tested My DNA
Now What?
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/1371374/TestingImages.png)
By Kitty Munson Cooper
Blogging at blog.kittycooper.com
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/3887366/MyHeritageKit.png)
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Get familiar with the tools provided by your testing company
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4114740/AdobeStock_43236853toolKit.jpeg)
- Most have a help center or FAQ
- Use the ISOGG wiki- https://isogg.org/wiki/
- You can always Google any question you have
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/1381386/DNArawData.png)
Your autosomal test data is about 700,000 lines of data in a spreadsheet so best to use tools to analyze it!
Google for the instructions on how to download your DNA results from your company
This will be a zipped file that you can later upload to other sites
SAVE A COPY OF YOUR RESULTS
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115551/Promethease.png)
To get the health results available in your DNA test results use this site (small fee)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4114803/Heinz57b.png)
Most Americans are a blend of ancestries
Each company has a different way of calculating yours
None are perfect yet, but the general outlines are accurate
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/2834525/SteveMorse.jpg)
Autosomal Inheritance by Steve Morse
DNA Home Page at Ancestry
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Ancestry Overview for Tester with Deep American Roots
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527472/DNA_Origins.png)
Ancestry Overview for Tester with Deep American Roots
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527472/DNA_Origins.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527476/DNA_Origins1850.png)
Clicking on a year gets this display, the numbers show how many ancestors there
How Does Ancestry Composition
Help My Genealogy?
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4114970/nonAJgrandad.png)
When you get an unexpected result
There were rumors that the grandfather of my jewish friend was a local nobleman
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4114986/nonAJgrandadUp.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4114998/AJancestry.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115001/JewishAncestryOrigins.png)
Two Ashkenazi Jewish Friends, one with some Sephardic ancestors
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/2834323/SwitchedAtBirth.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/2834339/BigWords.png)
from Cece Moore's blog at http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/2015/02/switched-at-birth-unravelling-century_27.html
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115059/23whereAC.png)
The ancestry composition at 23andme is under Reports > Ancestry
Only 23andme gives you maternal and paternal haplogroups. See http://www.eupedia.com/europe/origins_haplogroups_europe.shtml
The top of the page gives an overview
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527491/23andmeTop.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527493/23nadmeOverview.png)
The timeline feature attempts to tell you when that ancestor was
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527498/23andmeTimeline.png)
If you have a parent tested, it will break out the ethnicity by parent
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527499/23andmeParent.png)
Chromosome details of 23andme ancestry
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115112/23kACpainting.png)
Put your mouse on any 23andme ancestry
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115116/23kScandy.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115308/23ACrawDataCSV.png)
Ancestry Composition Segment Data can be downloaded from 23and me
Upload results to other sites for free to get more analysis:
- MyHeritage
- Family Tree DNA *
- GEDmatch
- DNA.land
- LivingDNA
*$19 for the full tools
MyHeritage Ancestry Composition, the overview
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527500/MyHkitty.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527501/MyHfamily.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115324/ACMyHeritage.png)
My Ancestry Composition at MyHeritage
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527503/MyHshipMap.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115346/ACoveviewMyOrigins.png)
Family Tree DNA initial ancestry compostion page - click on the map
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115348/ACmyOriginsMap.png)
My Origins Map at Family Tree DNA
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115350/ACmyOriginsMapUp.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115436/ACftDNAsephardic.png)
Only family tree DNA reports on Sephardic Jewish DNA
DNA.land ancestry composition for me and my brother
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/2834456/ACdnalandShip.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/3222463/KittysAncestry.png)
Ancestry estimate comparisons for my brother
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![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/2834503/GEDmatch.png)
My brother at GEDmatch.com
For details of how to use the GEDmatch ancestry tools see
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/kittycooper/images/1053589/JorgenAnnaWold.jpg)
Newly found "DNA" cousins can help you with your genealogy
They may have family stories and photos you do not have
My 3rd 1R sent me photos of my gg-grandparents
FINDING COUSINS
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4114648/AncestryDNA-Insights.png)
Do I really have to look through a thousand cousins?
NO!
Start with the low hanging fruit, 3rd cousins and closer
(100cM and larger)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115642/Relationship_Chart_FINAL_August_2017.jpg)
Keep Blaine Bettinger's Chart handy - see
http://thegeneticgenealogist.com/2017/08/26/august-2017-update-to-the-shared-cm-project/
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116057/ClosestRels.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527509/DNApainter.png)
Enter the cMs and get probable relationships https://dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcmv4
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527512/Shared_cM_ProjectFilter.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527513/DNap1700.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527514/dnaplit.png)
Cousin Matches
- How much shared DNA in centimorgans (cMs)?
- Who else do they match?
- How many segments? (More than 2 is best)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115635/AdobeStock_lowFruit.jpeg)
Getting New Cousins to Respond to You
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- Have a family tree online
- Upload friendly picture of yourself
- Include details of who matches whom (they may have multiple kits)
- Offer them information when you write to them
Do not be disheartened by lack of responses, some rarely log in
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116169/AncestryTopRight.png)
The top right corner of your Ancestry DNA page has some important icons
- Be sure to click on the envelope with the blue number to read your messages
- Be sure to connect your DNA test to your tree (click the gear icon, settings, to get to that page)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116161/AncestryDNA_Test_Settings.png)
Use Family Tree Linking to connect your DNA results to your tree
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115475/ISOGGcousins.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527516/CousinsBlowup.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115648/ShipCousins.png)
Matches at ancestry. For some tips try
http://blog.kittycooper.com/2016/08/michelles-ancestrydna-tips/
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116094/AncestryTreeMatch.png)
Ancestry Tree "Green Leaf" Match
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115667/AncestryDNA-Match-Details.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4115993/SharedDNA.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527523/AncestryDNA_Match_Details.png)
Clicking on View Match gets a page that may have a tree
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527518/HasTree.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4528977/AncestryProfile.png)
Where is the 23andme Cousin Matching Page?
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23andme Cousin Matches
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116124/23dnaRels.png)
Click through to a Match gets a long page with much information
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116140/23SharedDNA.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116142/23ComparePops.png)
The match page also
shows your population
break downs side by side
The match page shows a chromosome map of where the matching DNA is BUT no numbers here
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116211/23AmountShared.png)
At the bottom of the 23and me match everyone who matches both of you is listed and a YES indicates that there is overlapping DNA between these 3 people (automated triangulation)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116242/23autoTri.png)
Clicking that YES gets this, segment data (numbers) at bottom
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116257/23DNAcomparison.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527527/Compare.png)
Select different relatives on the comparison page gets this page
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4118658/myFTDNA_Home.png)
Family Finder matches has your cousin matches at Family Tree DNA
Family Tree DNA Cousin Matches
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116264/FTDNAcousins.png)
5 known cousins compared in ftDNA chromosome browser
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116269/ftDNAcBrows.png)
Click the DNA tab, then DNA matches at MyHeritage
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4118696/MyHeritageDNA.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/3576509/MyHeritageMatches.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/3576511/MyHeritageJohn.png)
MyHeritage DNA Cousin Matching
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527537/MyHjohnTop.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4528978/MyHsharedSur.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527546/SharedMatches.png)
MyHeritage Pedigree Display
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527548/MyHpedigree.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527550/MouseOver.png)
MyHeritage DNA Chromosome Browser
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527561/JohnChrBrowser.png)
Cousin matching via the "One to Many" tool at GEDmatch
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116295/GEDmatch_toMany.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4116299/gedmatch1toManyUp.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4527567/Ged1to1.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/1381394/Brynne.png)
Make a DNA chart from grandparents at https://www.legacytree.com/inheritance
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/3887376/genetic-inheritance-chart-legacy-tree-genealogists-002.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/176516/images/4114864/Questions.png)
You DNA tested, Now What?
By Kitty Cooper
You DNA tested, Now What?
How to use your DNA test results for your genealogy research: ethnic ancestry, finding cousins, and more
- 5,645