Common Ancestors And ThruLines
Debbie explains two of Ancestry’s most valuable tools for refining your matches
affects our matches in practice. But the algorithm is based on sound scientific principles, so it is advisable to use the more accurate post-Timber total. Other companies haven’t yet introduced a similar algorithm, so you will probably find that, if some of your cousins have tested elsewhere, the pre-Timber total will align more closely with the less accurate total cM provided by the other companies.
Ancestry now also provides
Start with a known cousin. Click ‘Shared Matches’ to identify a list of the matches you share with your cousin. If you match, for example, with a second cousin, then all of your shared matches will be related to you through your mutual great grandparents.
Create a custom group for the list of matches you share with your known cousin, choose a colour and assign a name, such as the surnames or full names of the shared ancestral couple. You can create up to 24 groups for different ancestral lines.
Go back to the list of matches that you share with your known cousin. Assign the same coloured dot to everyone in the shared match list, even if they have no family tree. They are likely to match you through the same ancestral couple.
If you have a match with an unknown cousin, check the Shared Matches to find out which matches you have in common (see the box on page 23). This group of shared matches forms a cluster who are all matching you through one particular section of your family tree. Compare the family trees, if available, and see if you can identify a common ancestral couple for the cluster. Use Ancestry’s system of coloured dots to sort your matches into groups. Resolving a cluster will often require a certain amount of family tree building, either back in time to identify the common ancestor or forwards in time to work out their relationship to you. Don’t worry about adding meticulous sources to your tree. You can construct a quick-and-dirty tree (see the box on page 22) and tidy up the connections later.
Filters
There are a number of filters that allow you to sort your matches in different ways. You can filter by unviewed matches, common ancestors, matches you have