Ancestry DNA
Debbie shares her expert advice for testing with AncestryDNA
How Can I Assign Matches To My Maternal Or Paternal Side?
SideView is a revolutionary methodology developed by AncestryDNA that allows the website to assign your matches to parental sides without the need to test your parents. The matches are initially labelled as Parent 1 and Parent 2, and you can then label the appropriate side as maternal or paternal. The parental assignments are also carried through to the ‘Ethnicity Inheritance’ feature.
What Is Timber?
Timber is an algorithm that the site uses to deliver a more accurate estimate of the amount of DNA you share with your matches. It is applied to all matches sharing 90 cM or more. Timber looks for high-frequency segments of DNA that are widely shared in the population and therefore not indicative of a recent genealogical relationship. The cM total for these segments is downweighted. AncestryDNA provides users with both the weighted and unweighted total. It is always best to use the weighted total, which is the figure in your match list.
What Is ThruLines?
ThruLines generates an outline tree allowing you to see how you are related to your matches. It also generates potential ancestor hints, which will need to be verified. The feature uses artificial intelligence to search through Ancestry’s records and trees to find connections. To use the feature your test must be linked to your Ancestry tree – it can be public or private, but it must be searchable. Build your tree back for four or more generations if possible. Note that you will not be able to access your matches’ trees without an Ancestry subscription.
What Are DNA Communities?
DNA Communities is a feature included with AncestryDNA’s Ethnicity Estimate. The communities are assigned based on genetic networks of matches sharing common ancestry from the same region. All of the people in the network will have connections with other people in the community, although they will not all match each other. The communities are indicative of ancestry from a specific region within the past 200–300 years.
Can I Upload My AncestryDNA Test Results Anywhere Else?
You may find some useful matches in other databases who haven’t tested at AncestryDNA. Fortunately you can download your raw data from AncestryDNA and upload it to FamilyTreeDNA, GEDmatch, Geneanet ( en.geneanet.org), Living DNA and MyHeritage. The matches are provided free of charge, but you will need to pay a small fee to access additional features.