RootsChat.Com

General => Ancestral Family Tree DNA Testing => Topic started by: GingerVicky on Tuesday 10 November 20 17:39 GMT (UK)

Title: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: GingerVicky on Tuesday 10 November 20 17:39 GMT (UK)
Hi there
I have just discovered the shared matches feature on Ancestry when you click on a match. Am I right in thinking that the list of names that appear are people that both of us share DNA with?
If that's the case why have I got matches who don't match with anyone else despite them being on the same branch?
I'm confused.
Vicky
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 10 November 20 17:54 GMT (UK)
Those on a list of shared matches only show if they share at least 20cMs with your match.
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: GingerVicky on Tuesday 10 November 20 18:39 GMT (UK)
Oh right that makes sense. Thank you so much for explaining it.
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 10 November 20 18:47 GMT (UK)
It's a nuisance because quite a few shareds are missed.

I'm not sure why they use 20 as the cut off.
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: clayton bradley on Tuesday 10 November 20 19:29 GMT (UK)
My husband has a cousin on his mother's side and I find that useful as we can check matches even if they are under 20cM. I also have groups of people who are not a shared match according to the person with the highest number of cMs but several other people are shared matches to them if I check those people individually. cb
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: durhamgirl73 on Tuesday 10 November 20 19:43 GMT (UK)
when you click on shared matches and get more than one person bear in mind that they may not be all connected eg

John Smith and you have 5 people as shared matches

person A
person B
person C
person D
person E

you and John Smith have a match with A .... but A and B might not be connected
you and John Smith have a match with B......A C D E are all connected to each other also but B is not

hope that makes sense :-\

Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 10 November 20 19:57 GMT (UK)
You have to do multiple shared match runs to find out groups of relatives - a bit like Venn diagrams  ;D
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: GingerVicky on Tuesday 10 November 20 20:28 GMT (UK)
Yes that does make sense. Didn't think of it like that.
But if say 4 out of 5 matches are for example on the Smith side of your family and you have identified that already wouldn't it follow that the 5th person would also be on the Smith side?
This whole thing makes my brain boggle. I've still got a lot to figure out about DNA.
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 10 November 20 21:01 GMT (UK)
If you click on the 5th one and do a shared match with that one, does No 5 match with the others?
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: durhamgirl73 on Tuesday 10 November 20 21:03 GMT (UK)
John Smith, you and B could be connected through paternal line
John Smith, you and A C D E could be connected through maternal line

you can be connected to a person more than one way
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: GingerVicky on Tuesday 10 November 20 21:05 GMT (UK)
Yes that's true. Is very confusing but I think I'm sort of getting my head round it all.
Thank you.
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 10 November 20 21:23 GMT (UK)
As I think I said earlier, you have to do a shared matches procedure with each of your matches. You can then allocate them to different groups, using the colour coding facility.

You have to do multiple shared match runs to find out groups of relatives - a bit like Venn diagrams  ;D
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: GingerVicky on Tuesday 10 November 20 21:24 GMT (UK)
Good advice. I will definitely do that
Title: Re: Shared matches feature on Ancestry
Post by: guest189040 on Tuesday 10 November 20 22:39 GMT (UK)
I have been using Shared Matches for a while.

I started with the highest cM match, then select Shared Matches.

Next I create a Group based on the match (named as THEIR NAME & ME) and assign a colour to them.

Each shared match is then set with the Group colour.

Additionally the Add Message is used with each Group member if they are included in a Floating Branch in my Tree.

Once the DNA match is linked in my tree I assign the Star to the match to signify Linked In My Tree and I change the message to display who they link to with regard to our common ancestor pair.

My highest cM match is assigned to a current total of six Groups but you do need to check periodically as other DNA Matches regularly show up.

This process can be seen as a variation of the Leeds method but that is more suited to matches with 100+ cM.

Hope this helps.