View Full Version : Neverending list of DNA matches
ElizabethHerts
09-03-19, 09:21
My list of DNA matches is seemingly neverending. I just can't get to the bottom of it. As the DNA matches are all on the same page, I have to keep scrolling and scrolling down to try to find the people with whom I share relatively little DNA.
It is totally frustrating as most of them have no trees whatsoever, whilst some have just a very few family members on their trees.
I just wish that Ancestry would put the DNA matches onto pages, then I could click quickly through the pages and get to the matches I want to see.
To solve any of my brick walls, I suspect it is those matches I need to study. However, for most of my matches it is impossible to see how we are connected. :mad:
No problem. Just go to extras, and switch the beta lab off. You can then start to cope with the pile.
It did take me four months to sort out Best Mate's matches, but I've put a note by every single one, telling me why they are important (or that they are not, and then hiding them)
This has left me with a far more managable list to play with.
Unfortunately, since I started concentrating on my matches, she has three thousand new matches!
ElizabethHerts
09-03-19, 09:53
Thanks, Phoenix. That works a treat. I can jump through the pages now. I really need to get myself more organised now, but I have had other pressures on my time.
ElizabethHerts
09-03-19, 09:54
On page 50 I'm still getting people who match me with 12.3 cM.
she has three thousand new matches!
This is what astounds me. How can we be related to so many people?
Dad has 22000+ matches. I doubt I've ever met that many people in my life.
ElizabethHerts
09-03-19, 10:42
Where do you see how many matches you have?
maggie_4_7
09-03-19, 10:48
Where do you see how many matches you have?
Was about to ask the same thing.
Edit: oh I just realised, if you are in the new Beta DNA matches if you click on All Matches on the top tab it lists all your groups and scroll down it has close or 4th cousin or closer matches, distant matches, new matches, hidden matches.
Begs the question what is Hidden Matches?
Mine are:
Close or 4th cousin or closer matches = 247
Distant matches = 29,082 ;( ;(: :eek:
New matches = 901
Hidden matches = 0
Back to Lab.
The new system gives numbers. Not only what you have analysed (pitifully few) but the total as well. 22,975 for me, excluding hidden ones.
Under the All Matches tab.
maggie_4_7
09-03-19, 10:56
Under the All Matches tab.
Snap I realised after I posted.
maggie_4_7
09-03-19, 14:01
Back to Lab.
The new system gives numbers. Not only what you have analysed (pitifully few) but the total as well. 22,975 for me, excluding hidden ones.
What are Hidden Matches?
Closer Matches 275
Distant Matches 34,462
Not bad going for them since I only got the results at the end of January ..
What are Hidden Matches?
The ones you put in the trash can.
maggie_4_7
09-03-19, 14:41
The ones you put in the trash can.
:D
I will be filling that up soon :D
Yesterday I watched a Youtube video from a group called Family Tree Fanatics which was quite good at explaining how to work out if a match is a good/true match or likely to be a false positive.
The man talked about working out statistics for good matches over all the DNA databases and how their algorithms and number of test results can show you a more manageable way to investigate your DNA matches. He had his DNA on all databases, but I don't, and am not likely too. But the premise of working out which is better for your matches probably okay.
The recommendation was that the smaller the cM match and more segments makes it more a possible false match, just a sort-of regional match. He sorted his matches only down to 35cM.
Looking at it from his American point of view was interesting, so I tried to adjust it for my Australian perspective - that is there are a lot less matches on GedMatch and probably 23 and Me and others, than Ancestry.
I put all those really small cM matches (less than 20) into the hidden files, unless they have a family worth investigating, or in one case, a common ancestor nominated. That one bears more investigation as it seems to make the link across several family trees. Maybe I will re-visit the hidden files in the future.
If you are interested in statistics and algorithms for DNA databases, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9tVgFmOxmk&feature=share
Di
ElizabethHerts
09-03-19, 21:27
I don't think that would work for me as I only have 15 matches of 35 cM and above.
Most of my brick walls and points of interest are quite far back so for those purposes I have to look at more remote matches, unfortunately.
kiterunner
09-03-19, 22:42
I only have 27 matches on ancestry with 35 cM and above, 18 of which are on my Dad's side, so it wouldn't work for me either. 121 above 35 cM on MyHeritage, but 91 of those are Jewish and probably not very closely related to me at all.
On the DNA tab there is now a "Last match Viewed" line which I think will help with navigating down the long list.
I am more generous than discarding matches less than 35cMs.
I have a couple of positive DNA matches at 7 and 8cMs, but they have family trees, pretty well researched that lead to a common ancestor - with no trees or common ancestor worked out by Ancestry, its just too exhausting to try and find the match.
There must be people with whom we have a very small match who are as genealogically minded us and and who put their whole family tree up - they are the people we want to match with and follow up.
I have some matches in the 20-30cMs range with over 10,000 people in their trees, and not one name matches anyone in my 5000+ tree. Mostly they are US people, all the way back to the early 1700s which puzzles me greatly.
Di
Mostly they are US people, all the way back to the early 1700s which puzzles me greatly.
Assuming their trees are correct.
I've come to the conclusion I have a missing romeo who snuck over the the US, slept with umpteen married women who all passed their love child off as their husband's child and those children all had many, many descendants and they have all done a DNA test.
kiterunner
10-03-19, 09:48
On the DNA tab there is now a "Last match Viewed" line which I think will help with navigating down the long list.
Where is this, please, Toni?
At the top left of the screen - you have Home, trees, Search, DNA, Help Extras.
Click DNA and get a drop down menu. It is the fifth option for me.
kiterunner
11-03-19, 09:38
Thanks, Toni. I don't get that drop-down menu on ancestry.co.uk but I do get it if I switch to ancestry.com (you can use the same logon for the com site as for the uk site.)
kiterunner
11-03-19, 09:48
Oh, I've tried it out on the US site now and it takes you to the page for that person, not to their position within your long list of matches.
oh ******. I haven't tried it. sorry.
My ancestry automatically defaults to .com if I look at DNA stuff even if I'm on .co.uk when I start. I don't know why.
Mary from Italy
15-03-19, 21:46
There must be people with whom we have a very small match who are as genealogically minded us and and who put their whole family tree up - they are the people we want to match with and follow up.
I've found one such person on Ancestry by searching for an unusual surname in my tree.
kiterunner
19-03-19, 13:29
My plan now is to disable the Improved DNA Matches feature, view a page of matches on the old-style list and set all on the page to "starred matches", then enable Improved DNA Matches again and view starred matches, go through them adding them to groups etc and removing the stars, then repeat for the next page. I suppose it would be a bit more complicated if I deleted (hid) some of them though.
Yep, that does seem the easiest way.
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