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How do Y-DNA results tell me about my ancestors?

Working with your Family Finder matches

We have explained that autosomal DNA tests (atDNA) such as Family Finder identify potential cousins who have also taken atDNA tests.    To learn about your family from these results requires that you correspond with those cousins to locate your common ancestor and share information about them.  The next three webpages will walk you through preparing for that exchange.

Step 1: Reading your Family Finder Matches

From your dashboard, to view your Family Finder (atDNA) matches click on [Family Finder Matches] within the "Autosomal DNA Results and Tools" portion of your dashboard.

The new Matches screen opens very slowly so be patient.  You will open a series of lines that look like the following, one for each match. Each such row names your match and provides access to information from your match or his/her test.

To the left above the horizontal line on each match will appear your match's name and below the name, the tests that your match has completed in addition to the Family Finder.  These additional tests (along with the "Haplogroup" information provided below the horizontal line) will not be useful to you immediately but might be later.

To the right above the horizontal line are three icons that when clicked access additional features.  The Notes icon at the far right   () opens a box to permit you to add a note for this match.  For example, you might record a date on which you emailed this match to explore your common ancestor with him or her as well as tracking information on any follow up exchanges.  Or, you might note the relationship you already know you have with this match.  This icon will show as an outline before you add a note, but once a note is added it will be dark.  (By the way, notice that a previously known relationship can also be noted by clicking on "Assign Relationship" below the horizontal line under "Relationship Range.")  Keeping track of your correspondence is always useful as you work through a number of your matches.

Clicking on the second icon from the right, the family tree icon, () will open the family tree your match has provided.  If that icon is just an outline it means the match has not yet provided a tree; a darkened icon indicates that your click on the icon will open the tree.  The tree cannot be generated by FT-DNA from the test, it must be provided in a separate operation by the person submitting or managing the DNA sample.  You will see that the quality of these trees varies and a good tree is an asset to both you and the match.  We will explain how you can include your tree on the next page accessed at the bottom of this page. 

More on the third icon in this set -- in common/not in common matches -- later.

Below the horizontal line appears additional information to assist you in beginning your correspondence with your DNA cousins. 

The first decision you will make is with whom to begin your correspondence.  Your matches will display with your closest cousin first, more distant cousins follow.  You may recognize your closest matches and be in touch with them regularly.  But as you move down the list you will encounter new cousins with whom you wish to correspond.  Prioritize those contacts based on their closeness to you and the missing information in your tree.

The strength of Family Finder (atDNA) is to permit you to fill out your family tree by identifying ancestors that are currently unknown, or finding out more information for ancestors that you do know about, through correspondence with DNA cousins that you discover through the test.  So, you and your correspondent will initially try to find the latest common ancestor that defines you as cousins.

Once you begin the correspondence with your newly found cousin, you need information to help you and the match locate your common ancestor.  There are three vital pieces of information below the horizontal line that assist with this exploration.  On the left is the list of "Ancestral Surnames."  What surnames in your tree do you share with this match?  If the entry says "Not Provided" you are out of luck in using this feature.  In fact, your first correspondence with your match may be to have them indicate their list of surnames.  But if names do appear, click on View Details. A box opens that appears something like the following:

Below your match's name is a row that gives you a choice of display.  Most useful (if your match has provided full information) will be the first choice "Matched Surnames".  Scroll down (if necessary).  This is the list of common surnames that appear in both your and your match's surname lists.  Chances are good that the surname of your common ancestor will appear in this list.  But perhaps not.  Perhaps the common ancestor is someone that either you or your match does not know they are related to.  Or maybe you and the match spell the surname differently.  Click on "All Surnames" and the match's full list will appear.  The difference in the two columns provides some possible surnames for your unknown common ancestor.  Of course the final option here is to search for a particular surname.  If you and your match have completed the surname lists on the dashboard, note that not only the name of the common ancestor but where they lived will appear on the list.  When you have taken note of the possible common ancestors, close this box.

The second piece of information that will allow you to explore possible common ancestors with your match is the column labeled "Relationship Range."  This is FT-DNA's estimate of how closely you are related to this new DNA cousin.  Please remember that this is an estimate based on the data that is in the next two columns: "Shared DNA" and "Longest Block."  A third important factor enters here which is the scientific error inherent in DNA research.  But as a starting point this will be helpful as you and the match explore possible common ancestors.  Do not, however, reject a possible common ancestor because if falls outside this range.  Remember if you are 2nd cousins, it means you would share a great-grandparent, a 4th cousin a 3rd great-grandparent.  This provides you a way of estimating how far back in your tree you should be looking for the common ancestor.

The final piece of information that can be helpful is the far right column, the "x Match."  If the person whose DNA is tested is male, an x Match indicates that the common ancestor will be on the mother's side of the tree.  Males inherit their X chromosome from their mothers, the Y chromosome from their fathers.  Thus, this information will help you eliminate half of your tree as a possibility for the common ancestor.  "No match" here means that the common ancestor could be on either side of the tree.  Females inherit X chromosomes from both father and mother, so this information is not useful for them.

With this information you can begin exchanging information with your match to locate your common ancestor.  Notice, by the way, why the next step we will explore -- how to prepare your dashboard to be most useful to your matches -- is so crucial.  If your match did not include their genealogical tree, or failed to list known surnames and locations of their ancestors, your correspondence has to begin at a much earlier stage in information gathering and locating the common ancestor will be a longer process.

Want to expand the list of people who you might include in your correspondence with this match?  Remember that third icon above the horizontal line -- the "in common/not in common" icon ( )?  Click on that icon and select "In common with."  The dashboard will recalculate matches, this time providing you the list of additional tests that appear as matches on both your list and the list of your match.  This will permit you and your match to triangulate with others in locating your common ancestor.

At the bottom right of the match line is the date of the match.  This can be useful in finding new matches that you might not have explored previously.

Continue to Step 2 of Working with Your Matches