DNA hints in Ancestry trees

[Pauline]

I don't know if it is a new feature, but I was just looking at the Pedigree View of my Ancestry tree and noticed a new symbol had appeared on my one of my great grandfathers.

When I clicked on it, it was shown as a possible DNA match, and when I clicked the arrow to see more it gave details of one of my DNA matches, who shares this great grandfather and is a half-blood 2nd cousin to me.

Then underneath the match details it says "Is this DNA match the same person as [my great grandfather] in your tree?"

Erm, no! Not only did my great grandfather die in 1931, he was also male while the DNA match is female.

Presumably I can click 'No' and this hint (if that is what it is) will disappear? However, I quite like the idea of keeping it there for regular amusement!

 

[At home in NZ]

However, I quite like the idea of keeping it there for regular amusement!

Thanks for making me smile. I don't do DNA but if this is indeed a new hint feature it sounds as though it's about as inaccurate as many of the 'standard' hints are.

 

[Margery]

I don't do DNA

And I thought that I was the only one...

 

[Helen7]

I don't know if it is a new feature, but I was just looking at the Pedigree View of my Ancestry tree and noticed a new symbol had appeared on my one of my great grandfathers.

I assume this isn't the blue symbol which looks like a group of people and takes you through to the ThruLines for that ancestor? That's the only symbol I can see on the pedigree view of my DNA-linked tree, and those symbols have been there for a long time. What does the new symbol look like?

 

[At home in NZ]

And I thought that I was the only one...

I thought I was being a bit brave by admitting to it.

 

[Pauline]

I assume this isn't the blue symbol which looks like a group of people and takes you through to the ThruLines for that ancestor? That's the only symbol I can see on the pedigree view of my DNA-linked tree, and those symbols have been there for a long time. What does the new symbol look like?

If you look at your Ancestry tree in either the Family View or Pedigree View, you will see a DNA symbol below the vertical bar on the left hand side. If you click on that a 'DNA Discoveries' side panel comes in from the right, and below the privacy bit are 3 options - ThruLines Icons, Possible DNA matches & Connected DNA matches. All show the symbol used to the left of the words, and each one can be individually turned on or off. My ThruLines one was already turned off, but the other two were set to on.

So far I haven't seen any Connected DNA Matches on anyone in my tree, but the Possible DNA Matches are shown on my sister (correctly) and on my great grandfather (incorrectly).

EDIT: I've just clicked 'yes' for my sister, and the symbol on her now has a green tick on it.

 

[PhilGee]

I have been using "ThruLines" to provide the link information to matches and, after doing validation checks, I add appropriate entries (with a "ThruLines" or "DNA Match" image I generated) to show the path to the match and enable the "Connected match" symbol. That gives a visual indication in my tree which also serves to identify entries that have minimal research support.

Phil

 

[Helen7]

If you look at your Ancestry tree in either the Family View or Pedigree View, you will see a DNA symbol below the vertical bar on the left hand side. If you click on that a 'DNA Discoveries' side panel comes in from the right, and below the privacy bit are 3 options - ThruLines Icons, Possible DNA matches & Connected DNA matches. All show the symbol used to the left of the words, and each one can be individually turned on or off.

Oh I see, thanks. All three of these were set to On in my tree, but the only icons which appear are the ThruLines icons. I don't have any 'Possible DNA Matches' or 'Connected DNA Matches'. I assume this is because my DNA-linked tree only contains my direct ancestors and no living cousins.

 

[Helen7]

EDIT: I've just clicked 'yes' for my sister, and the symbol on her now has a green tick on it.

I just looked at my son's tree and saw that I appear as a 'Possible DNA match' on that and when I click 'yes' the symbol on me now has a green tick on it, just as you found for your sister.

I can see how these may be of use if you include living distant cousins in your tree, but not much use to me.

 

[Pauline]

I assume this is because my DNA-linked tree only contains my direct ancestors and no living cousins

My DNA linked tree is much the same, and the only other people included are my sister (who needed to be there so I could link her test to my tree) and 'other spouses' of ancestors.

For Connected DNA Matches it says "A DNA match icon indicates that a person has been connected to a DNA match". I was expecting that this would include anyone in my tree showing as a common ancestor with one of my DNA matches, but although I have plenty of common ancestor matches, there is no one in my tree with that icon. So maybe I've misunderstood what a Connected DNA match is.

 

[PhilGee]

For Connected DNA Matches it says "A DNA match icon indicates that a person has been connected to a DNA match". I was expecting that this would include anyone in my tree showing as a common ancestor with one of my DNA matches, but although I have plenty of common ancestor matches, there is no one in my tree with that icon. So maybe I've misunderstood what a Connected DNA match is.

If you "only" have direct ancestors, you will only get the "match icon" if the other person is one of your direct ancestors

For a match who is in your tree, the idea is to go to the list of matches and then to the "home" page of that match, left click the "match icon" to the right of their name and then search for that person in the panel that appears. Select the correct person and the symbol will change and be added to that person in your tree and your matches list.

Phil

 

[canadianbeth]

Select the correct person and the symbol will change and be added to that person in your tree and your matches list.

When I do that I see this "You've indicated your match, Rob Daniel, is the same person as William Bowyer in your tree." Rob Daniel is not the same person as William Bowyer; he is my 4th cousin and we just share the same ancestor.

I am also seeing that I cannot link more than one person to the same ancestor - why is that?

 

[Pauline]

For a match who is in your tree, the idea is to go to the list of matches and then to the "home" page of that match, left click the "match icon" to the right of their name and then search for that person in the panel that appears. Select the correct person and the symbol will change and be added to that person in your tree and your matches list.

Thanks, Phil. I think I now get how it works, and I can see that the Possible DNA match symbol on my sister has changed to a Connected DNA match symbol - in both my tree and in my match list. So it appears that where you get a Possible DNA match indicator, you can do this via your tree as well as via your DNA matches.

 

[Helen7]

When I do that I see this "You've indicated your match, Rob Daniel, is the same person as William Bowyer in your tree." Rob Daniel is not the same person as William Bowyer; he is my 4th cousin and we just share the same ancestor. I am also seeing that I cannot link more than one person to the same ancestor - why is that?

This feature allows you to say your DNA match is the same person as someone in your tree, not just to indicate that your DNA match shares the same ancestor. Hence why you can only link one person to the same ancestor, because by connecting them you are saying your DNA match is that ancestor, as Phil pointed out (and as applied to myself in my son's tree).

 

[PhilGee]

So it appears that where you get a Possible DNA match indicator, you can do this via your tree as well as via your DNA matches.

I hadn't found that, so thanks for the information - could be a great time saver.

Phil

 

[canadianbeth]

This feature allows you to say your DNA match is the same person as someone in your tree, not just to indicate that your DNA match shares the same ancestor. Hence why you can only link one person to the same ancestor, because by connecting them you are saying your DNA match is that ancestor, as Phil pointed out

So that means that I have matches that I cannot link to our common ancestor because another person already has been?

 

[Helen7]

So that means that I have matches that I cannot link to our common ancestor because another person already has been?

You can indicate a common ancestor by colour coding all those in your DNA match list who are descended from that ancestor (or more likely that ancestral branch), but the "DNA match" symbol is only used to identify a DNA match who actually appears in your tree.

 

[canadianbeth]

You can indicate a common ancestor by colour coding all those in your DNA match list who are descended from that ancestor (or more likely that ancestral branch), but the "DNA match" symbol is only used to identify a DNA match who actually appears in your tree.

Ok, I will have to go back and check them all to see just who is there and who is not. Parents and grandparents might be there but not them; easy enough to check, I will just look at my FTM list. I was confused as to just what that symbol was supposed to mean.

ETA: the problem with this is that some of my matches are only listed by initials; I know they are in my tree but cannot remember now just what their real names are.

 

[PhilGee]

ETA: the problem with this is that some of my matches are only listed by initials; I know they are in my tree but cannot remember now just what their real names are.

I know how you feel - I have 6 matches, with 5 just initials (2x T.B. 2x M.B. and S.B.) managed by the sixth.

Phil

 

[peter]

the problem with this is that some of my matches are only listed by initials; I know they are in my tree but cannot remember now just what their real names are

When you figure it out, make sure to include this information in the Notes field. I also record Ancestry user names in my tree when I remember.