1) Draft guidelines for AIGG proposed (Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogist)
for public comment through May 30, 2023
2) Firebird Forensics Group Inc website update
https://firebirdforensics.org/
media has been added under “News” various podcasts, videos
The MoCoGenSo DNA Sig is scheduled to meet: first Wednesday of the month at noon via Zoom. Reserve the time in your calendar!
A DNA Discussion Group (SIG) is a group of individuals who have a shared interest in using DNA testing for genealogy and family history research. DNA SIGs typically provide a forum for members to share information, resources, and expertise related to DNA testing and genealogy. Newcomers, beginners, are always welcome!
Please let us know if you would be able to present or share some of the tools or issues you are interested in. Maybe you have a topic or a speaker that you think others might be interested in. Perhaps you can facilitate a meeting. We can all learn from each other.
Dana Leeds, creator of “the Leeds Method” for Clustering just posted an article about the order of AncestryDNA’s “colored dots”. You can read her post here: https://www.danaleeds.com/the-order-of-ancestrydnas-colored-dots/ . Frankly, I need someone to explain it to me. What color do I associate with which ancestor to get the dots in the right order? I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday and we can discuss this and other puzzling tools.
If there is a particular tool or strategy you would like to share with others, or a genetic genealogy problem you would like the group to advise you on, get enough screenshots prepared in advance so you’ll be able to describe the technique step by step on screen, or show us the DNA-related work you’ve already done on your problem case.
My job is facilitator, or door keeper, if you would. Come join us. If you can’t make it this month, don’t worry. We plan to be here next month, and the next…
Click to Join Meeting: Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 897 1823 5118
Passcode: 738495
RootsTech 2023 is still going strong. I just watched a session put on by the creator of DNA Painter web site, Jonny Perl. It was not about his excellent site, but instead was about 3rd party tools that are supporting genetic genealogy. If you get a chance, do try to watch it. Below is a link to a wonderful page of LINKS to all things genealogy, created and maintained by Jonny Perl. This list runs the gamut from sites to books. I have included this link on the GG Web Links page herein too.
Many thanks to DNA Painter for their services to us all.
The MoCoGenSo DNA Sig has resumed operations, with scheduling: First Wednesday of the month at noon via Zoom. Reserve the time in your calendar!
A DNA Discussion Group (SIG) is a group of individuals who have a shared interest in using DNA testing for genealogy and family history research. DNA SIGs typically provide a forum for members to share information, resources, and expertise related to DNA testing and genealogy. Newcomers, beginners, are always welcome!
Please let us know if you would be able to present or share some of the tools or issues you are interested in. Maybe you have a topic or a speaker that you think others might be interested in. Perhaps you can facilitate a meeting. We can all learn from each other.
Lots of things have been happening in the genetic genealogy field in recent months. Below is a new option made available at Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) called Group Time Tree which shows in some of the group projects. The graph below includes my data! I will show how it works on this Wednesday.
If there is a particular tool or strategy you would like to share with others, or a genetic genealogy problem you would like the group to advise you on, get enough screenshots prepared in advance so you’ll be able to describe the technique step by step on screen, or show us the DNA-related work you’ve already done on your problem case.
My job is facilitator, or door keeper, if you would. Come join us. If you can’t make it this month, don’t worry. We plan to be here next month, and the next…
Click to Join Meeting: Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 897 1823 5118
Passcode: 738495
Yesterday the local headlines read “41-year-old cold case solved.” A man had finally been convicted of a 1981 murder in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Last month the national news covered the story of “Opelika Baby Jane Doe” identified after 11 years.” A child’s remains found in Alabama in 2012 had been identified. Both cases had been solved with new DNA technology known as Investigative Genetic Genealogy or “IGG.”
Almost every week now, there is a news story about how IGG solved another cold case. Because it is becoming common place, it makes the new process sound simple. However, the process for solving cold cases, even with the new DNA technology, can be complicated by various factors. These factors include the number of DNA matches that a forensic sample will have when compared in a database and the projected relationships of those matches, whether close or distant cousins. Theoretically, more matches and closer matches make it easier to solve cases of unknown identities.
Investigative Genetic Genealogy involves comparing the DNA files extracted from forensic samples with the DNA files in databases publicly available at only FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) and GEDmatch.
· FTDNA is a direct-to-consumer DNA testing company people use to find out more about their genealogy by working with their matches and family trees. FTDNA also accepts uploads from people who have tested at other companies such as AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, 23andMe, etc. Although these other companies have large databases, their databases may not be used for Investigative Genetic Genealogy per their policies.
· GEDmatch is a database comprised of DNA data files uploaded by people who have tested at any direct-to-consumer DNA testing company. Because the database includes DNA file uploads from a variety of sources, family historians and people looking for biological family members use the GEDmatch database to find more information without having to test at every company.
There is a huge back-log of cases, some decades old. It will take years to solve many of them. If you want to help with the process of Investigative Genetic Genealogy, upload your DNA file to FTDNA and GEDmatch. It is best to upload to both sites because you will have different matches. It would also be helpful to upload your GEDcom! The more people that upload, the more cases that will be solved.
Author: anonymous
Uploading your DNA data requires that you first download your data. Roberta Estes at her blog DNAeXplained has written various articles about how to do these steps. Here is one:
I believe you should always download a copy of your DNA data file no matter what. It is your data and will not change. Get a copy in case the vendor goes out of business! If you want more information about IGG, you can also check in at a session of our DNA Discussions Group.
This is a “how-to” post. One way to find something herein is to scroll down the right hand column to the section titled CATEGORIES and select a group out of the drop box.
If the subject you are looking for is not there, you can use GOOGLE SEARCH with the site: parameter. For example, the term CLUSTER in not a category. Go to Google and type “site:mocogenso.wordpress.com cluster” without the quotes and your search will find quite a few posts that have the term cluster.
The MoCoGenSo DNA Sig will resume operations, with scheduling like before: First Wednesday of the month at noon via Zoom. Reserve the time in your calendar!
A DNA Discussion Group (SIG) is a group of individuals who have a shared interest in using DNA testing for genealogy and family history research. DNA SIGs typically provide a forum for members to share information, resources, and expertise related to DNA testing and genealogy. Newcomers, beginners, are always welcome!
Please let us know if you would be able to present or share some of the tools or issues you are interested in. Maybe you have a topic or a speaker that you think others might be interested in. Perhaps you can facilitate a meeting. We can all learn from each other.
We haven’t met for 6 months. Lots of things have been happening in the genetic genealogy field in that time. Below are some of the new tools that have shown up at the DNA Painter wed site. Hopefully someone can show us how these things work.
Ancestry . com has not been standing still either. There are many new things that I want to learn how to use. Of course, discussing the Sawtooth Slayer Methodology could easily take a whole session. And I hear that FamilyTreeDNA has not been standing still either. Building clusters is my current pet peeve.
If there is a particular tool or strategy you would like to share with others, or a genetic genealogy problem you would like the group to advise you on, get enough screenshots prepared in advance so you’ll be able to describe the technique step by step on screen, or show us the DNA-related work you’ve already done on your problem case.
My job is facilitator, or door keeper, if you would. Come join us next week. If you can’t make it this month, don’t worry. We plan to be here next month, and the next…
Click to Join Meeting: Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 897 1823 5118
Passcode: 738495
Having read the book “The Sawtooth Slayer” by Nathan Goodwin, I decided to outline the basic methods used to figure out who was the killer. I really enjoyed the book and don’t’ intend to release any spoilers. But I figure the methodology can be useful for those of us searching for our own puzzle.
In Dec 16, 2012 we posted a search method provided by CeCe Moore which you can see here:
How to catch a killer OR learn more about your ancestry!
I want to compare the methods. I’m guessing that they aren’t all that different, perhaps only terminology differences will appear. The effort might teach me more about the overall procedures. You can work with me, and for sure, email me when I make mistakes. Perhaps we can go over the steps at the next DNA Discussions Group via Zoom.
1. DNA test
In this book, the first thing to do is to have a genetic DNA completed and get it to Family Tree DNA and Gedmatch. The following clustering steps can be done most anywhere, but the book is working with police and FamilyTreeDNA and Gedmatch are the only sites that will allow police involvement.
2. Identify clusters containing unique and in-common-with matches
The clusters are built, manually in the book. You can use auto-clustering at MyHeritage or Genetic Affairs if you wish. Clusters are subsets of the matches that contain unique matches that are in common with each other. Given subset uniqueness, each cluster should have a Common Ancestor (CA) and it is our job to find that person or pair. The book ended up with 7 clusters. Given that there are eight 2x great grandparent sets, that is about right. You start with the highest centimorgan match, select in-common-with, going no further than 10 centimorgans. Call that cluster 1. Go to the next not selected match and build cluster 2.
3. Build a speculative family tree of each person within each cluster, looking for the Common Ancestor
This is where the heavy work is involved. Build the trees at Ancestry.com. I’m seeing one tree per cluster with floating trees inside per person, because after the CA is located, all the “floats” would disappear. You are building the tree backward in time, going towards ancestors. In the book, they built the trees out to 3x great grandparents. I’m not sure why, that might be difficult in some cases.
4. Triangulate within each cluster, this then “closes” each cluster
I know what triangulate means, common segments for 3 or more people. I guess this step is just to prove that the tree building was legitimate, DNA wise. It will sure provide good documentation. Curiously, the first book in the series didn’t need this to close a cluster.
5. Reverse genealogy (p.230)
Reverse genealogy is where all known descendants of the confirmed common ancestors to the genetic network are traced, searching for the overlap between clusters. This is heavier tree building, building forward in time, sometimes using your “find living people” skills. Following the overlap between clusters should lead directly to the original DNA tester.
6. Success. Contact and adapt!
We have previously talked about the free web site called DNA Painter that supports DNA genetic testing with various tools. The most famous tool is called Shared CM Tool.
The site is run in London, England by a guy named Jonny Perl. The site is mostly free, but there is a subscription level which gives you more of many options. For the record, I am a happy subscriber.
There is a free monthly newsletter which is really a useful item which keeps the world updated with news from all around the genetic testing arena. The latest newsletter included an announcement about the new page on the DNA Painter site that contains links to other third-party tools related to DNA analysis for genealogy. This page is a wonderful set of sites that we should all bookmark. And you can leave the updating to DNA Painter!
You can find a link to this new page on the Tool Page at DNA Painter. For now, you can get to it by clicking here:
The MoCoGenSo DNA Sig is on hold for the remainder of the year. We will reevaluate its resumption in 2023.
In the meanwhile, there are many great DNA Sigs and Discussion groups throughout the country that are free for the joining. In fact, we have a few right here on the West coast. For example, have you heard of Randy Seaver? He is a long time genealogist who runs a DNA Sig for the Chula Vista Genealogical Society. This link goes to their main page where there is link to the next DNA meeting! Their meetings are via Zoom and are quite interesting. The last one I attended had 32 folks present!
chulavistagenealogysociety.wildapricot.org
For those who want pure genealogy, Randy Seaver runs a blog that is worth checking out.
www.geneamusings.com/p/randys-genealogy.html
And do not forget the Genealogy Society of Santa Cruz County right here in the Monterey Bay area. They also have a DNA Sig that can be found the calendar on their main page at:
Monterey County Genealogy Society 