Ethnicity Estimates from DNA tests are the sprinkles on your genealogy cupcake—not the whole cake.
Here’s why you shouldn’t treat them as hard facts:
They’re based on reference populations and statistical modeling.
Your results can (and will) change as databases grow.
Different companies use different methods—expect different “flavors” of your ethnicity.
🎯 The Real Power of DNA: Building your match list and connecting with cousins who might hold the missing pieces to your tree—not arguing whether you’re 10% more Scottish this week.
Bottom Line: Enjoy your ethnicity estimate. Frame it if you must. But don’t build your tree on it.
Genetic genealogy is an exciting field that combines traditional family history research with DNA testing to uncover ancestral connections. Forensic genealogy applies these techniques to assist in solving crimes and identifying unknown individuals. For beginners, understanding these concepts can open new avenues in exploring family history and contribute to broader societal benefits.
What is Genetic Genealogy?
Genetic genealogy involves analyzing DNA to discover relationships between individuals and construct family trees. By testing specific types of DNA, such as Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and autosomal DNA (atDNA), genealogists can trace lineage lines and identify common ancestors. Y-DNA testing focuses on the direct paternal line, mtDNA on the direct maternal line, and atDNA provides a broader view of one’s ancestry.
How Can Genetic Genealogy Help in Family History Research?
Incorporating DNA testing into your genealogical research can:
Break Through Brick Walls: DNA testing can provide evidence to support or refute documented family connections, helping to overcome obstacles in traditional research.
Confirm Surname Lineages: Y-DNA testing can verify paternal lineages, confirming whether individuals with the same surname share a common ancestor.
Discover Ethnic Origins: Autosomal DNA tests offer insights into your ethnic background, revealing the regions your ancestors may have originated from.
What is Forensic Genealogy?
Forensic genealogy applies genetic genealogy techniques to legal and criminal investigations. By analyzing DNA evidence from crime scenes and comparing it to genetic databases, forensic genealogists can identify suspects or unknown individuals. This method has been instrumental in solving cold cases and identifying remains.
Getting Started with Genetic Genealogy
Define Your Goals: Determine what you hope to achieve with DNA testing, such as confirming family connections or discovering ethnic origins.
Choose the Right Test: Select a DNA test that aligns with your research objectives. For instance, Y-DNA tests are suitable for tracing paternal lines, while autosomal DNA tests provide a comprehensive view of your ancestry.
Select a Testing Company: Research reputable DNA testing companies that offer the services you need. Ensure they have robust privacy policies and provide access to genetic matches.1
Analyze Your Results: Once you receive your DNA results, use the tools provided by the testing company to interpret the data and integrate it into your family tree.
Ethical Considerations
When engaging in genetic and forensic genealogy, it’s essential to consider privacy and consent. Always obtain permission from living relatives before including their DNA information in your research. Be aware of the ethical implications of using genetic data, especially in forensic contexts.
Where to Learn More
To deepen your understanding of genetic and forensic genealogy, consider exploring the following resources (links to these and other resources are below):
“The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy” by Blaine T. Bettinger: This comprehensive guide offers detailed information on DNA testing and its application in genealogy.
Your DNA Guide: This platform created by Diahan Southard provides educational resources and personalized guidance for individuals interested in genetic genealogy.
CeCe Moore’s “DNA Testing for Genealogy – Parts One – Four”: This article offers an introduction to DNA testing for genealogy, making it accessible for beginners.
By integrating genetic and forensic genealogy into your research, you can uncover new facets of your family history and contribute to meaningful discoveries in broader contexts.
Christensen, Erica. “An Introduction to Forensic Genetic Genealogy Technology for Forensic Science Service Providers – Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.” September 13, 2022. Accessed February 11, 2025. https://forensiccoe.org/report-2022-forensic-genetic-genealogy/.
“Research Guides: Genetic Genealogy: DNA and Family History: Introduction.” Research Guides at Library of Congress. Accessed February 11, 2025. https://guides.loc.gov/genetic-genealogy.
My genealogical journey took an unexpected turn when I stumbled upon a DNA match in Ancestry’s ThruLines®. This match led me down a path that initially seemed illogical. The son of my 2nd great-grandmother’s sister, whom I had already traced, appeared to have another son with a completely unfamiliar surname. The connection was listed as “half 2nd cousin, 2x removed,” which further puzzled me.
Initially, I suspected an error in the DNA match’s family tree. However, upon further investigation, I discovered the tree was accurate. The son, let’s call him George, had adopted his mother’s maiden name. But why?
The reason for this unusual naming choice became clear when I learned more about George’s unconventional upbringing. His parents, let’s call them Sal and Sandra, had him out of wedlock. Sandra, unable to care for him alone, entrusted him to her parents for the first year.
Tragedy struck when Sandra’s mother passed away, leaving her father to raise George with the help of his siblings. However, the situation further deteriorated when Sandra’s husband refused to accept George.
At the age of four, George was placed in an infant asylum, a Catholic institution where he was baptized and circumcised. The records revealed that his biological father, Sal, had initially provided financial support but ultimately failed to maintain it. As a result, George was transferred to another orphanage for older children at the age of six.
Life at the orphanage was undoubtedly challenging. George received a basic education, but his academic performance was described as “low to average.” At sixteen, he was placed with a farming family, where he lived and worked until he married at twenty-five.
George rarely spoke about his time in the orphanages, suggesting deeply painful experiences. His mother, who had another daughter with her husband, completely disowned him. The cruelty extended even to the mother’s funeral, where his own half-sister forbade him from attending.
Furthermore, George’s family was deliberately misled about his biological father’s ethnicity. They were told he was of a different nationality, a blatant lie to conceal his true origins.
The discovery of this hidden past through DNA testing has been a profound revelation for George’s descendants. They now have a vast extended family they never knew existed, and I am honored to be able to assist them in connecting with this newfound heritage.
This experience underscores the power of DNA testing in uncovering unexpected family histories and the importance of preserving family stories, even the most difficult ones.
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Recently, I’ve been assisting several clients with their DNA matches from the DNA tests they’ve taken. As I wrote here, Ethnicity estimates shouldn’t define your family tree. Since I have either built or helped expand their family trees, we’ve had success connecting many of those matches to their trees. However, it’s frustrating for both my clients and me to encounter the large number of matches that either have no tree linked to their DNA test or only a small tree with just two or three people. This lack of information is not helpful for anyone involved. While some may be primarily interested in ethnicity reports, even they are missing out on the full story. Let me explain.
Why Link Your DNA Results to a Family Tree?
Using Ancestry.com as an example, linking your DNA results to a family tree is essential because it allows you to identify how you are related to your DNA matches. By comparing your genetic information to individuals in your family tree, you can gain valuable insights into your ancestry and discover new family connections through shared ancestors. Essentially, it bridges the gap between your genetic data and your known family history.
When you link your DNA results to a public tree on Ancestry.com, you activate shared ancestor hints, which appear in the ThruLines tool. The larger your linked tree, the better your chances of finding common ancestors. This connection allows you to:
Identify who in your tree is a DNA match.
See how you’re related to your matches.
Keep a record of these connections.
Determine which parts of your tree they can help with and which shared relatives they might have stories or information about.
Link Your DNA Results
At Ancestry, you need to link your test to “you” in a tree. If the DNA test belongs to your mother, link it to your mother in your tree. Note that your test can only be linked to one person in one tree at a time. If you decide to disconnect and reconnect to another tree, record everything first, as you will lose your current ThruLines. These will regenerate based on the new tree but may differ depending on the tree’s content and other factors.
To receive green document leaf hints, potential parent hints, and DNA hints such as ThruLines, you need to provide enough information for Ancestry’s system to connect the dots. This includes:
Birth and death dates
Birth and death locations
All spouses, not just the one you descend from
Children and their spouses
At least one additional generation of descendants
Every generation added gives Ancestry’s software more “info” to use for connecting the dots.
Best Practices for Hints and Trees
Never blindly accept hints or assume their accuracy. Early in my genealogy journey, I trusted information without verification, believing that older generations had everything correct. Today, we have more resources to validate information and acknowledge that errors can occur. In your family tree, the leaves represent document or record hints, not DNA matches. The leaves on your DNA match page indicate a common ancestor identified in the tree of your DNA match.
When reviewing a hint, use the “maybe” button to move it into an Undecided folder if you’re unsure. I try to keep my leaves organized so I can easily identify new hints. While I ignore Ancestry Member Trees as sources (because they are not a source!) in my tree, I use them as research starting points and messaging opportunities.
I also ignore DNA icon picture hints, as these images often represent personal identifiers rather than actual ancestor photos. And they make for useless hints you do receive. I also do not use them in my own trees for that very reason. Instead, use Ancestry’s MyTreeTags to organize your tree. Tags help label people as DNA matches, military veterans, direct ancestors, and more. Tags can be universal (e.g., “DNA” or “Common DNA Ancestor”) or custom (e.g., for unique family history needs).
Understanding ThruLines
ThruLines are calculated for a maximum of seven generations, counting your parents as generation one. (“seven generations” is equivalent to the “5th generation” when counting back through your ancestry.) The three requirements for ThruLines are:
You must have a tree.
Your DNA test must be linked to a person in that tree.
You must have DNA matches to other people with the same ancestor in their tree.
To maximize ThruLines, enter names of spouses and children for eligible generations. Feeding the machine with more data improves results.
Why Sharing Matters
I totally get why some folks might hold back from sharing their family trees; it can feel like you’re “giving away” a piece of your puzzle. But I like to think of it differently! Imagine if my efforts help someone stumble upon a long-lost ancestor’s photo or finally break down that stubborn brick wall in their research. Or what if I inspire someone to dive into Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA testing? That’s what it’s all about! Collaboration in genetic genealogy can lead to amazing discoveries. Let’s come together and unlock these family stories—who knows what we might find!
Closing Thoughts
Genetic genealogy thrives on collaboration. By linking DNA results to detailed family trees and embracing tools like ThruLines and MyTreeTags, you can unlock powerful insights and connections. Sharing your research and findings enriches not only your own journey but also the broader genealogical community.
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My sister messaged me after reading How Our Ancestors Managed Anxiety and Stress: Lessons for Today. She told me that she has been more focused on ancestry because she’s been reading research on “generational trauma” and how it changes our DNA. She stated that if we consider from a more expansive perspective, it helps to make more sociocultural sense about how lived realities are passed to future generations.
I initially responded that I had done a blog post about this years ago, but in reality, my blog post was about “psychological inheritance.” Are they similar?
Psychological inheritance refers to inherited traits, behaviors, and reactions that are passed down through generations. Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational or transgenerational trauma, is a cycle of trauma that can be passed down through families, either directly or indirectly. It can include how people view life, and these traits can persist over time. Do You Know What Your Emotional Genealogy Is?
Generational trauma can include emotional and behavioral reactions from ancestors or older relatives that affect future generations. Some examples of trauma that can cause generational trauma include: ~Personal trauma, such as child or domestic abuse. ~Trauma experienced by a specific cultural, racial, or ethnic group. ~Major events like wars, slavery, the Holocaust, and colonial violence against Native Americans. Do You Know What Your Generational Trauma Is?
Trauma can be inherited through epigenetics, meaning that trauma experienced by an ancestor might influence how your genes are expressed. This can result in changes to your DNA expression, impacting your mood, reactions, health, and susceptibility to conditions. For example, Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, says that intergenerational trauma can be seen in how children adjust to their parent’s behavior. For example, if a mother freezes when her child laughs, the child might learn not to laugh in front of their mother.
So, what did my sister mean when she said it could change our DNA?
Intergenerational trauma is the theory that trauma can be inherited because there are genetic changes in a person’s DNA. The changes from trauma do not damage the gene (genetic change). Instead, they alter how the gene functions (epigenetic change).
It’s important to recognize and address intergenerational trauma in order to prevent passing it on to the next generation. The first step is acknowledging its existence, which can be difficult due to confronting painful family histories and accepting that parents or other relatives may have been sources of trauma.
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of trauma in yourself and your family is empowering. It’s important to learn healthy coping skills and emotional regulation techniques in order to break the cycle.
Creating secure attachments, especially between parents and children, can help break the cycle of generational trauma. This involves building relationships based on trust, safety, and emotional connection.
As we explore the depths of our ancestral roots, it becomes clear that the legacies we inherit are more than just physical traits or family stories. Whether through psychological inheritance or the complex mechanisms of generational trauma, our ancestors’ experiences shape us in profound ways. By understanding and addressing these influences, we not only gain insight into our own behaviors and emotions but also take crucial steps toward healing and breaking cycles for future generations. After all, our past doesn’t just belong to history—it lives within us, and how we choose to navigate it can make all the difference.
Sometimes it is the answers you do not find. A couple of months ago, I received an email from a man in the UK looking for an old friend who he heard had passed away here in America. At first, I didn’t answer thinking it was one of those scams, “You’ve inherited $5000 lbs from Uncle Larry.” In addition, I research family history, not long lost friends. However, he wrote again and his story piqued my interest.
His friend was a psychiatric nurse in the UK and used to travel to America through his work. This friend also changed his surname, maybe by deed poll, from his birth surname to his adopted surname. Tragically he died while in America, his friend heard, by being hit by a train or hit by train shrapnel.
“TH” (alias for the person who contacted me) thought the incident was bizarre and had contacted his friend’s brother, but the brother wouldn’t discuss anything with him, further adding to the mystery. The brother traveled from England to America to take care of the details when he died, but “TH” doesn’t believe the body was brought back to the UK. With only an approximate birth year to go on, I looked through all my resources, newspapers.com, etc., and found no mention of this friend or incident. Without knowing where his friend died, it was fruitless. “TH” continued his research from his end and wrote me again a few weeks later.
“TH” had found out that his friend had died in New Jersey. Thanks to “Reclaim the Records“, he was able to find the death index. That in turn gave him the exact birth and death of his friend. With that information, I found his friend’s birth parents and confirmed that the record pertained to the right person. “TH” was close to the information he provided but forgot that our date formats are different than theirs.
I still could not find a newspaper article on the incident. Curious about the name change, I wrote the National Archives of the United Kingdom to search their deed polls. A “Remote Enquiries Duty Officer” emailed me right back and explained that he could not find a deed poll entry for a name change for “TH’s” friend. The gentleman also explained that “Changes of name by deed poll are only recorded officially if a fee is paid to have the deed enrolled in court – not many people do this and so there is often no official record other than the original deed poll issued to the person themselves.”
With further research, I found he was issued his social security number in Arkansas in 1988, but could find no further records. Next, I wrote the New Jersey State Library and the researcher was very kind. She had access to the Morristown Daily Record from 1995. She tried several different searches to see if she could find an obituary or article about either the train accident or an obituary for him but did not come across anything. Doing a general search for “train accident”, “hit by a train”, or “train” for June 6, 1995, and broadly for June 1995 did not have any results. She also did a general search in NJ Newspapers via NewsBank as well and did not find anything either.
I then heard back from the New Jersey History and Genealogy Center. They too searched different newspapers from 1995 and could find nothing on the friend or any mention of a train accident or similar. Could it be that this isn’t how he died? Unfortunately, because “TH” is not a relative, he cannot obtain a copy of the death certificate.
I built a family tree in my Ancestry account and found their biological parents, but no hits so far.
Now I have two questions, 1) Did he really die by train? 2) Why won’t his brother share the specifics with “TH”?
The hunt continues…
This was out of my realm, but very interesting for me as I love mysteries and researching. Investigative Genetic Genealogy is the popular way to solve crimes now due to DNA, and it is very intriguing. However, not only can it be used to solve crimes, but I believe it can solve family history mysteries and help adopted parents or children, etc.
But for able to get into this part of genealogy, I need more practice in the genetic part and Reverse Genealogy. I hope to broaden my research skills and do just that!
Wish me luck!
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While lying in bed last night, I was thinking about my ancestors. I know, weird, right? It is amazing that 23andMe shows my DNA makeup is 99.9% European. Europe is such a diverse continent with so many countries within it as it covers the whole Northern Hemisphere and many of the Eastern Hemisphere. It has over double the number of countries than North America. But, believe it or not, Europe has the least number of languages spoken, with 286 languages in 2015 compared to 1,064 in North and South America.
29.7% is German and French, with most of my German being in Bavaria, Hamburg, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatine. The French connection is in Switzerland, mainly in Canton of Bern and Grisons, although I haven’t found these connections yet.
23.9% is British and Irish with the United Kingdom of Greater London, Glasgow City, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, West Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, Belfast, and Kent. In Ireland, we have County Dublin, County Cork, County Cavan, County Galway, County Mayo, County Leitrim, County Kilkenny, County Wicklow, County Longford, and County Louth.
2.2% of my British and Irish are Scandinavian and Northwestern European. 13.9& is Eastern European. 1.8% is Southern European, which consists of Italy and the Mediterranean. 9.1% is “Broadley European,” explained by 23andMe as Neolithic farmers from western Asia joined Paleolithic hunter-gatherers to settle in Europe. And, .1% of the European DNA is Ashkenazi Jewish.
So, what is the .1%? It is in southern South Asia. This area consists of these countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Interesting. I doubt I’ll find that .1%.
The diversity it amazing to me. I have come so far in my research in the last 25 years, but looking at these regions, I have so much more to go. It is an exciting challenge to find these places in my research as I did with my Slovenian and Croatian connections in Eastern Europe. And my Scottish links in Northern Europe.
I am proud of my European ancestry. Maybe that’s why I am addicted to all the European shows on Britbox and Acorn! 😉
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