Is anyone using GEDmatch?

[ElizabethHerts]

I have just registered with them.

[marquette]

Yes, I am using GEDMatch.

Originally my husbands relatives were doing a study of their family, because of very convoluted relationships so we all uploaded there. Now we have also me, our daughter and his sister and his aunt and my Dad as well.

I find the main spread of matches, are in the US, and cannot locate how we are connected. Many matches are of less than 50cms, so at least several generations back.

I find it a bit useful, better than Ancestry in some ways, as I can see how my matches match to each other. I mean, I have a match with Shirley and Margaret and from GEDMatch I can tell they are closely related to each other as well (they are mother and daughter). You cannot tell that from Ancestry, except by how many CMs I share with them, you might be able to guess.

You can build a matrix of who matches whom, as well as matches me. I can work out, usually, which part of the family they belong to. But I generally ignore the
matches under 20cms as they are too small to be definite about.

Di

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, Di. It's going to be a huge learning curve for me.

[marquette]

For me too, Elizabeth. All these hundreds of people who are related to each other!

I looked at the results and contacted a few people, but then gave up. I still don't do a lot with GEDMatch except look at it. I have plans to make an Excel spreadsheet to work out how each result relates to the others, but I keep putting it off as too time-consuming.

Can I recommend a book ?

Adam Rutherford's "A brief history of everyone who ever lived" published in 2016.

Its basically about the Human Genome Project, but helped me to understand the DNA results and especially how the "ethnicity" part works.


Di

[Janet]

Thanks for that, Di. I've just taken in as much as I can of that book in preview form online and will no doubt go on to order it, either from the library or as a purchase. Glad you opened the thread, Elizabeth!

[ElizabethHerts]

Di, thanks for the book recommendation. I shall investigate!

Janet, I'm pleased this piqued your interest.

[ElizabethHerts]

The book looks fascinating. I'm going to order it.

[Janet]

Update! After these last posts, I was pleased to find Adam Rutherford's A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived available from our local library and have now reached the last page, having taken copious notes.

I know that at least one of our good friends, after hearing my comments on it, has put a hold on the same book at the library and is waiting for me to return it. As for me, I like it so much that I want it on my own bookshelf so will be watching the used book prices for an eventual bargain.

Thanks again, Di and Elizabeth.

[JBee]

If you google it - there's a few places that are selling used ones from about £3 - Amazon has it new for£6.99