Grouping DNA Matches

The process of clustering or grouping your DNA matches into genetic networks is an essential part of using DNA for genealogy research. This class will introduce the concept of clustering and walk you through the process of grouping your own DNA matches.
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[@kathrynludrick4821]

My bro did a Y-DNA test, which confirmed my biological surname of Griffin, and includes several matches with Richard and Spencer Griffin's descendants.

[@liztrollinger1416]

If you are adopted please consider submitting your DNA matches to multiple sites. That might help you narrow down which line/branch of the family tree you are on since many people only submit their DNA to one site instead of multiple sites. I was able to narrow down a branch for someone that was adopted by comparing the cousins specific to my branch of the tree to their dna hits. My cousins were not their cousins on that specific branch so I knew they stem from a different line of the tree.

[@robertthomson2159]

Good idea esp since people might have a tree and/or DNA in one but not another.

[@kathrynludrick4821]

I've started this process to find out my paternal great grandparents. My paternal grandfather's parents died when he was young and subsequently assumed the name of the family who raised him. One of my bros took a Y-DNA which confirmed our biological surname.

[@kathrynludrick4821]

Ancestry assigns maternal and paternal to my shared matches without having my parents DNA. I assume Ancestry is able to do because of algorithms.

[@pinwheelgrl9304]

The dot system here is one dot per person. I have too many ancestors that married several times, so I use the one dot per couple system instead and make a note on my chart for extra spouses.

[@kathrynludrick4821]

My goal is to find out who my paternal great grandparents are. When i first started i only knew my paternal great grandfather's name. Through clustering I observed 5 distinct subgroups: 1. Griffin 1 (descendants of my paternal great grandfather, Joseph Griffin). 2. Griffin 2 (descendants of bros Richard and Spencer Griffin). 3. Griffin 3 (descendants of Wm R Griffin). 4. Descendants of Henry Flood. 5. Descendants of couple Bartlett and DeWitt. My hypothesis is: Joseph is the son of Young Griffin and Martha Ann Flood (Henry Flood's dau). That Young is a brother of Richard and Spencer. That Joseph is a brother of William R Griffin. Don't know yet how Bartlett/DeWitt is connected. As far as i can tell i have no shared matches with my parernal great grandmother whose name is unverified.

[@kathrynludrick4821]

It's very difficult to cluster my maternal grandfather's branches. Because his family branches (Harrell, Wall, Easley, Newman, Carter) intermarried within small communities in Amite and Pike Counties in Mississippi, many of the matches have multiple relationships to me.

[@user-qi1kr7hm1q]

Thank you for sharing this information

[@debjordan4399]

My Heritage 12,845 and new ones almost every day, FTDNA 5,316, GEDmatch...I don't know. It gives me a headache to try to work on this. Looking to find the father of a 3rd Great Grandfather.

[@abraham2321]

I wanted you to ask questions

[@debehmann8791]

That is not true about the mother's matches and father's matches come from parents doing a DNA test. My parents are listed on quite a few relatives as Father's side or Mother's side, yet both are deceased and have never taken a DNA test.

[@mandlerparr1]

That might not have been available when this was streamed. It is a newer feature. I used to have to manually mark them with notes.