Working AncestryDNA circles and a few observations

My sister and I have both tested at AncestryDNA.  When I am working on a segment and it is pointing in the direction of a specific ancestor, I always check my AncestryDNA circles to see if I have a Circle for that particular ancestor or ancestor couple.  I work the circles.  What do I mean by work?  I have a spreadsheet template I use.  I begin by adding the Ancestor's name at the top.  The spreadsheet has columns for:

• Ancestry User Name
• Match or Match to Circle
• Estimated cMs/segments
• Group(Child thru which they descend)
• GEDmatch #(known and added as they upload)

I add the info for each circle I work and this helps me to track not only who matches me but the descendant pathways.  Also and probably the most important thing for me is that I can see at a glance which tester would be the most valuable to have their info at GEDmatch.   I generally write those who Ancestry estimates match me on multiple segments or at amounts greater than 15 cMs.  I ask them to consider uploading to GEDmatch if they are not already there and if they have uploaded, how to identify them among my many matches.  I want to focus on these larger matches for a number of reasons. The circle membership gives me a pretty good idea of where they could match me. It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the matches but I feel if you focus on the larger ones, those will help in identifying others.   I also like to look at the smaller matches and see how their estimated segment matches are in comparison with my sister's results.  If they match her at amounts over 15cMs I also message them. 

Stay focused on the larger matches when trying to get folks to GEDmatch.  However do not forget the randomness of DNA.  Siblings can vary greatly in what matches they have.

My sister and I are a great example of that.

Since Mom tested I was able to make phased kits(thanks to GEDmatch tools) which show the matches that each of us got from Dad(who passed before we began DNA testing.)  I have compared my Paternal Phased Kit to my sister, Becca's Paternal Phased Kit and also compared each of our Maternal Phased Kits.   Below are the results

Comparing Paternal Phased for Marie and Paternal Phased for Becca(Full siblings)

(Chr 1-22, X not included)

Largest segment = 134.6 cM

Total of segments > 7 cM = 1,526.2 cM

33 matching segments

Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 1.6

Comparing Maternal Phased for Marie and Maternal Phased for Becca(Full siblings)

(Chr 1-22, X not included)

Largest segment = 145.6 cM

Total of segments > 7 cM = 2,513.8 cM

50 matching segments

Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 1.3

So you can see that on our Paternal lines we appear to have gotten a greater variety, while Mom seems to have given us more of the same.  

Table below shows another example of the randomness. The amounts shown are those estimated by Ancestry and they tend to be slightly higher at GEDmatch.

Comparing segment matches we have to
members of a Paternal Ancestor Circle.  

Working on Identifying larger segment matches

I have been mapping my DNA segments to specific contributing ancestors for a little over 2 years now.  It is something I really enjoy doing but at the same time, it can be very frustrating.  When I first began I was the only one in my family who had tested.  A few months after getting my results I bought a test for my Mom who agreed to test.  This really helped when her results were in and uploaded with mine to GEDmatch as I was able to differentiate between matches which were on her side and those which were on my paternal side of the family.  GEDmatch has a tool that is extremely useful if you only have one parent who is able to test.  It allows you to use that parent's DNA to subtract the DNA they gave you leaving you with a Phased kit which containing just the DNA that the un-tested parent contributed.  Last year my sister tested and her results came in which gave me more date with which to work.  I couldn't have asked for better results.  While she is a full sister she and I match at 2513.7 cMs(not including the X amount) which is on the low end of full siblings meaning we received varying DNA from our parents.  I also created a phased kit of the DNA which she received from Dad and compared it to the phase kit of the DNA which I received.  It has given me a pretty good visual phasing though it's not perfect you can see the re-combinations.  I used this comparison to mark the segments where we were opposite and was able to narrow down some segments to PGM or PGF.

When I first got my results I was busily collecting my matches.  I collected anything 5cMs and up.  I guess I thought I'd miss something if I didn't.  Sure, I could have, but now I am working with the larger segments and I wish I had done this when I began.   I use GenomeMate Pro to catalog my matches and keep track of the kits I manage.  Most of the time I have anything under 12 cM hidden when viewing the matches on each chromosome.   I thought it would be a good project to tackle some of the larger segments.   I wanted an easy way to see the larger matches across all of the chromosomes at the same time. Below is what I did using my paternal phased kit

• Run a Matching Segment report set where it only includes 20+ cM segments
• Paste the results into a spreadsheet
• Format with headers to your preference 
• Set the sorts so it will sort by Chromosome and then by starting point
• Use the fill cell tool to group the ones which cover the same area
• Add a column on the far right of your Spreadsheet.  This column will be used to identify whether the match or the match group is from the Paternal Grandfather or the Paternal Grandmother's lines.

 How my chromosome, starting and ending position and segment size groups look
minus any identifying info(GEDmatch #s email addresses cropped out of pic)

I did the same thing using the paternal phased for my sister.  Yesterday I printed the spreadsheets and put them in  sheet protectors in a binder.  Today I begin reviewing our largest unassigned segments.   Technology is great, but I really do better if I have a printed paper to look at while searching over a pedigree chart rather than flipping back and forth from the chart to an actual spreadsheet or program.  Just the way I'm wired I guess.  I'd love to hear what has worked for others 

This is how I have my outer column for now  I could do a reprint later as I identify
PGM or PGF lines....but for now I will edit the old fashion way
(remove from sheet protector use color pencil and pen to add info
replace in sheet protector)

AncestryDNA Circles Spreadsheet strategy

This post is about how I am using the info in my AncestryDNA circle to choose which members in the circle would be most beneficial to ask to upload to GEDmatch.com.  If you are not aware of how DNA circles are formed please see the recommended reading links listed at the end of the article. They do have limitations.  You will need segment matches, chromosome browser, triangulation, documented research working together to prove descent.

I have been using the info from my autosomal DNA test which was done at AncestryDNA to map my DNA segments to my Ancestors.  I downloaded my raw DNA and uploaded to GEDmatch where I can compare to others who have tested at any of the other major sites and uploaded their results to the GEDmatch.com website.   I did also do the transfer to FTDNA of my results and other kits I admin because everyone will not upload to GEDmatch....It would be great...but it's just not going to happen. Much like a chromosome browser at Ancestry.  I can deal with that though.

I've tried setting some goals for my larger DNA circles.  My goal is to get as many of my DNA circle matches to upload as possible.  That said, there are other things I'd like to know in deciding which of those circle members would be the most helpful to my research.  

• Which of the members have matching DNA segments with me?
• How many centiMorgans does Ancestry guesstimate we share?
• Along which path do they descend?
• Are they uploaded to GEDmatch?

I chose one of my larger DNA circles---Jabel Putman 54 Members of which 24 match my kit.

After navigating to my DNA circles and selecting the Jabel Putman Circle this is what it looks like

From the Circle page I click on LIST to show the matches.  This particular circle has 3 pages of matches.  I opened my notepad and copy and pasted the listing of matches to my kit.  I then edited the info and inserted tabs so I could paste it into a spreadsheet.  I did a FIND & REPLACE ALL with DNA MATCH TO CIRCLE and replace with OOO,  Then I did a FIND & REPLACE ALL with DNA MATCH and replaced that text with XXX.(be careful not to reverse those two if you try this)

Once I had my layout like I wanted it, I pasted the info into a spreadsheet and adjusted the columns and added a column for GEDmatch # LINE(of descent). To really get an idea of what can be gained by seeing the kit at GEDmatch, I also added a SEGMENT MATCH column.  There are several other columns in the circle listing(Admin, Group and Connection Strength) and I chose to keep them with the exception of the image files.  I added formatting to make the spreadsheet more visually informative.  In the rows where the circle member was a DNA match to me (XXX) I shaded those rows a pale green. I began populating the GEDmatch # Column by adding the #s of the matches which I knew had uploaded to GEDmatch. While viewing the matches in List Mode, click on Relationship to determine that members line of descent and note it in the LINE column.  I chose to include the child and the grandchild in that column.  For the Segment Match column I viewed the profile for the matches(those with XXX), clicked on the i while viewing to find the guesstimated amount of shared DNA  After I had gotten the spreadsheet populated and formatted to my liking, I sorted by those who had XXX in the match column adding the word ASK in the GEDmatch # column for those who matched me but who had not yet uploaded to that site.

Below is a screenshot of a copy of my spreadsheet(I edited out/modified usernames)

It's a pretty good representation of the randomness of DNA inheritance even though we really have no way of knowing 100% for sure if this ancestor is responsible for the segment match

Looking at the spreadsheet now lets me know the answers to my earlier questions and will let me make the most of my time when contacting my matches and recommending that they upload to GEDmatch..

Recommended reading to learn about AncestryDNA's Circles

Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gem's article

Genealogy Junkie's AncestryDNA starter page

Also Roberta Estes' DNA Explained has many articles about AncestryDNA circles.