I had similar experience!!

Congrats on your successful Ancestry discoveries despite the initial challenge of researching your ancestors when you're adopted. Many adoptees don't have that experience.

😀😊I'm so glad!!! I will keep trying to do my best so I can have comments like these.

You got this! Keep watching and always ask questions. We love them! Thanks for sharing our videos out to your friends. That's how we grow.

Thanks so much BlueV. I taught this information to a class at my local library and I quickly understood the need to slowly explain ThruLines

I agree with BlueDV. You did a great job of explaining the problems with ThruLines and the importance of doing the genealogy research.

Thanks Patricia

Thanks so much Ruby. Glad to help you out.

That is definitely something to be aware of with member trees on Ancestry.

Very welcome

Awesome. Thanks so much. (BTW... I released the next one too soon, so hang tight for those.)

Oh how I wish that were the case. Ancestry responds to the masses (their paying customers). I would love a customer driven request for the chromosome browser and think it would be more motivating than genetic genealogy leaders requesting it.

You're very welcome!

Yes, the Ancestry matches might not be on the other platform. But, different matches might be there that Ancestry doesn't have. Thus, I advocate being in as many databases as you can afford and manage. Folks not responding is evidence that not everyone who tests did so to find cousin matches. Most wanted a quick answer to where they come from - so ethnicity estimates. The good news is that there are many techniques that help us work around the lack of communication.

Glad you liked it

Very well said. You have to evaluate the theories or you'll kick yourself later.

Thanks so much for your insight. There are a lot of factors in play to be sure.

Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.

It COULD be possible that ThruLines and the parental divisions might intersect. But folks have to remember the ThruLines are only as good as the trees people build.

I'll put it in the suggestion list for sure.

If you see DNA matches that descend from multiple children and grandchildren of the common ancestor, that's likely a better ThruLine theory than if all your DNA matches have share one direct line from you to your common ancestor with no distant cousins. Does that help?

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics yes thank you! 😍 you guys

Also, why do I get cousin matches from people who have no trees?

First, your DNA matches are based on genetics, not trees. You might be able to figure out how a cluster of folks are related because one person in the cluster shares a tree. 5th and 6th cousins... is that an Ancestry term or have you found that relationship to be accurate? If it's an Ancestry label of how you're related, I would actually recommend you using one tool to see what is the likely relationship. dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcmv4 Type in the amount of cMs you share with your DNA matches and look for the possible relationships. You will find that you're related further removed than you think.

Thanks for sharing a specific example. I wish Ancestry would allow us to reject ThruLines with explanations, but that's not currently an option.

The problem could be that there are so few people who have taken y-DNA tests. Additionally, your paternal line surnames could have changed for you or your matches somewhere up the family tree and someone isn't aware. ThruLines can only suggest back to your 5th great-grandparents. If your y-DNA matches are connected further back than that, ThruLines won't help you. I recommend determining how all of your close matches (first cousins - 4th cousins) are related before you tackle the y-DNA issues. That foundation will help you determine your paternal line more quickly, even if you are working on your maternal lines.

Yep. Or, you may be related through a different line.

Contacting cousins and obtaining their emails is a way to attempt to collaborate and share research. Many folks who discover common genetic relatives are trying to access home sources such as letters, diaries, photographs, and other such records not available in accessible genealogy sources. While others are trying to discover their blood lines (adoptees and illegitimate children and such.) There are many reasons why folks use genetic genealogy to assist in their research other than finding 'pen pals' as you said.

Thanks for sharing your research process with ThruLines. You're definitely being methodical.

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Then again I also honestly enjoy doing logic puzzles and don't use the little "score card" they have attached to them. I have created my own system and do them in spiral notebooks. I think I've started on like my 5th or 6th spiral notebook of those ;-)

I check the sources too. I find that some people's sources are very suspect also, just as bad as copying from someone else's tree.

@@jjbud3124 Yes it takes time and effort to figure out how to find those little nuggets. I think what has really paid off for me is to use Family Search microfilms and go searching through them myself sometimes scanning them one page at a time. Or even in Ancestry to not just use the Search results but click on those original documents as well like the original Alabama marriage indexes -- the ones that are in typescript with the coded numbers for the counties and the dates of marriage. Or go to official state and county archives websites. Very surprising what can be found there. A number of North Carolina counties have the original microfilmed land records going back to the 1700s for example. The Library of Virginia website is gradually filming all of their counties' Chancery Court records. I found new information for the Chandler Family Association just by scanning through those. Right now I'm primarily focusing on my Italian ancestry including taking an online Italian course to get better at it. I think I go through phases where one thing interests me more and I'll do that for awhile. I have seizures and sometimes I have memory problems and last week is a blank space in my head so I do what I can do. At least it keeps me from getting bored ;-)

Oooh... I like that term "Stick Tree.'T that's exactly what I'm cautions of.

Sadly, there isn't a way to reject the ThruLines. Keep adding specific information into your tree that differentiates your ancestor from others. Also, reach out to Ancestry and suggest that race be a factor in their algorithm. Finally, reach out to the people with the ThruLine recommendations to see where their trees and yours can be improved to increase the accuracy. Just remember, ThruLines are possibilities, not necessarily confirmation.

That may be true but I am concerned with identifying each person from my parents to my multiple great grandparents and a full sequence doesn't really help me know those details.

The 120 ancestor count applies to genetic. Anyone trying to find an heir (royal or not) will involve numerous generations. Typically they will use documents to establish relationships rather than genetics. Even then, a genetic claim will be weak past the 5th generation so it won't stand alone.

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics true but as long as you can trace the lineage of the tree and you have documentation then that`s all the prove you need right? I ask because I am rel;ated to thge 6th Duke of Sutherland and King Long Shanks

The expert on Americans of Royal descent is Gary Boyd Roberts of NEHGS in Boston, Mass. He has published several books on the subject with frequently updated editions. I have no known Royal ancestors from any country. One note of caution: incidents of false paternity (cuckholding in the vernacular) are known from DNA studies of the Pantagenet lines of the British Royals. This became evident after the remains of Plantagenet King Richard III were found and DNA studies were done. It will probably never be known where and when these false paternity events occurred or how often such events occurred. Richard III had no known offspring which complicates the analysis. So even though you have a well documented paper trail descent from a Royal line, it may still be inacurate. False paternity events occur periodically in all lines Royal or not.

Great question. There is no way to change the ThruLine at this time. Ancestry is considering offering the option to reject a ThruLine but it's not available yet. So for now, ignore it. The other option is to contact the folks with the incorrect information on their trees. If they change their trees, then the ThruLines change.

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thank you so much for your reply! I appreciate it so much!

Thruline misidentified the parents of one of my ancestors and then listed the wrong ancestors for her for several generations prior to her birth. The error is an obvious one. I know the birthdate of my ancestor from her New York State death certificate. Thrulines identified another woman also named Jane Edwards born ten years later also in New York State. This wrong Jane Edwards married an entirely different husband and had different children. And this wrong Jane Edwards died in Michigan.

I have a similar problem. Thru Lines is connecting me to an incorrect pair of ancestor and it is driving me crazy seeing them listed as potential ancestors! Not to go into too much boring detail, but my ancestor was born in Ireland, and not Virginia which Thru Lines is trying to tell me. I hope that they will offer the option soon to reject inaccurate links!

ThruLines won't reveal that information. With DNA, sometimes you don't inherit the genes that would connect you to the ancestry you hope to find. Have you seen this video? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qLNyotJ11KiWh58.html

I don't. Which allows me to share my positive and negative opinions from my experience as a user rather than a spokesperson from the company.

Yes. That's what the DNA Thrulines suggest. But, once the line begins comparing your online family tree to the online family tree of the DNA match, you're left genetic comparisons and are doing tree comparisons. In many cases, you could be related to the recommended common ancestor on paper, but genetically you're related through a different couple genetically. This can happen due to what's called Tree Collapse. For instance, I have ancestors from the little escarpment between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. These relatives intermarried with each other, but not to the extent of endogamy where people have intermarried so much over many generations that it's very difficult to separate the generations with DNA. In any case, while I could share a common ancestral couple with a DNA match through the Comforts, it's quite possible it really is the Lanes one generation back further but either I or my match doesn't have this generation in our tree or Ancestry doesn't put for that theory. This is one time where MyHeritage Theory of Family Relativity is better. They show you multiple possibilities. But it can only do that if records and family trees make those options available.

Sorry that is the case. What part confuses you the most?

ThruLines do have their problems. I just try to help people become aware of them.