5 Practical Lessons from an Ancient DNA Study

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For years, genealogy has been dismissed by some as storytelling. Another study I blogged about last week says otherwise. (Genetic genealogy of the Piast dynasty and related European royal families) Done correctly, genealogy is history, biology, and evidence all working together. The study teaches us the following lessons we must adhere to:

1. One record is never enough
Even kings couldn’t be identified from a single source. It took DNA, archaeology, and documentation working together. If you’re relying on one census or one tree, you’re not done. (GPS 1 – Conduct reasonably exhaustive research)

2. Biology and paperwork are not always aligned
Non-paternity events didn’t start in modern times. They’ve always been part of family history. The difference now? We can detect them. (GPS 3 – Analyze and correlate evidence)

3. Geography can mislead you
The Piasts ruled Poland but their origins likely trace to Western Europe. Don’t assume origin based on where someone lived or held power. (GPS 3 – Analyze and correlate evidence)

4. Build your work to withstand revision
This study didn’t “destroy” history it refined it. Good genealogy should do the same. Leave room for new evidence without collapsing your conclusions. (GPS 4 – Resolve conflicting evidence & GPS 5 – create a well-reasoned, written argument that explains how the evidence supports the conclusion)

5. Genealogy is moving toward synthesis, not silos
The future isn’t records or DNA it’s both, plus context. The genealogists who thrive will be the ones who can integrate all three. (and make sure to GPS 2 – Maintain complete and accurate source citations)

DNA Doesn’t Care About Pedigrees: What a Royal Study Just Proved About Genealogy

 

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I just read one of the most important articles I’ve seen in years and if you care about genealogy, you should too. (Genetic genealogy of the Piast dynasty and related European royal families)

The study confirms something many of us already suspected: The paper trail isn’t the final word.

A recent scientific study analyzed the DNA of the medieval Piast dynasty, the ruling family that built early Poland.

Not one king.
Not one tomb.

An entire dynasty.

Researchers examined skeletal remains from multiple burial sites, applied DNA analysis, and combined it with historical and genealogical data.

And what they did should make every genealogist pause:

• They identified specific historical individuals using DNA
• They reconstructed relationships across generations
• They confirmed some lineages and quietly broke others

This wasn’t theory.

This was proof.

For decades, historians debated where the Piasts came from.

Local Slavic rulers?
Foreign elites?
Legendary founders?

DNA answered the question. They were not local.

Their Y-DNA traces back to a lineage far more common in Western Europe, places like England, France, and the Netherlands.

In other words, One of Europe’s foundational royal families likely came from somewhere else entirely. And then it gets even more interesting. The researchers didn’t stop at origin. They reconstructed family relationships and found something genealogists know all too well: Not every father in the records was the biological father.

At least one individual inherited royal DNA through the maternal line (mtDNA) instead of the documented paternal line (YDNA).

No scandal headline.
No dramatic accusation.

Just quiet scientific correction.

Let’s say that again: A medieval royal pedigree…Was wrong.

Now here’s where this connects directly to my work and to yours.

Because this study didn’t succeed with DNA alone.

It required:

• Historical records
• Burial context
• Chronology
• Genealogical reconstruction

Sound familiar? It should. Because this is exactly what serious genealogists do.

When I began building my books, Echoes of Britannia, my goal wasn’t just to collect names.

It was to create something durable. Something that could stand even when new evidence emerges. This study confirms that approach.

Because what they built scientifically is what we aim to build genealogically, a structure where evidence supports identity across generations.

Not just “Here’s who someone might be,” but “Here’s who they were and why we know it.”

European royal families were never isolated, pure, or static.

They were:

• interconnected
• mobile
• politically strategic
• and sometimes… biologically inconsistent

DNA is now proving what the records only hinted at and that’s powerful.

Evaluating Ancestry.com’s ThruLines

I want to pass on this tip if you find yourself stuck with a brick wall ancestor. While I was writing my John-Thomas Duer relationship analysis I used Ancestry’s ThruLines and created a chart to place in the paper as additional proof. If you have DNA tested with Ancestry.com then ThruLines is available to you. To access, sign on and then click DNA on the ribbon. Click ThruLines. Here’s where it’s advantageous to have a tree on Ancestry – for all the individuals that you’ve included in your tree for several generations, their information will appear on ThruLines in a white box by their relationship to you. I know that I’m genetically related to both of my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents from my DNA Matches on Ancestry and other sites so I scroll down the page and begin to investigate people I have placed in my tree but need further proof of lineage. Perhaps records are just not available or sketchy. Perhaps they are a brick wall. For my example, I’m using a line I haven’t thoroughly researched. I have a hypothesis that Mary Whitlock and John Cole were my 5th great grandparents. The ThruLine boxes for them appear at the bottom of the page:

Interestingly, I have NO DNA Matches for John Cole but 3 for who I thought his wife was, Mary Whitlock. This means I need to check out Mary Whitlock further. Click on the name box and you will see a descending tree chart. I have a pic of my connection to one of the three DNA matches:

The above chart has been clipped – I’m not showing you the entire chart that Ancestry presents because I’m only going to look at one match at a time and start with the one who is closest to me. My Mary “Polly” Dennis married 5 times and had children with 3 of her husbands. I recognized in the chart above that Sarah Elder is my half 2nd great-grandaunt because Sarah’s dad was Owen Elder; my line descends from Edward Adams. Two other DNA Matches I didn’t clip Show descent from husband John Hodge. My relationship shows as half because both Catharine Adams and Sarah E Elder got half their DNA from Polly and the other half from their dad’s, who were not the same individual. I’m not sure why Ancestry needs me to EVALUATE the information as I had that in my tree already and I thought they would recognize it. If you come across that, here’s how to get the chart looking complete: Step 1. Click on the individual to EVALUATE. You must start at the top, with the oldest generation first. Once you click EVALUATE this page will appear:

As you can see in the picture, My Main Tree is an option and that’s my personal family tree. Why Ancestry didn’t automatically connect to it I don’t understand. You don’t need to make any decision on this page, just click Next at the bottom. The next page looks like this:

Obviously, I’m going to click the button in front of Sarah A Elizabeth Elder in My Main Tree as that’s my tree. Once the button is clicked, on the bottom “Add” to tree is shown. Click that. You now need to make a decision as to who the spouse will be. This is important for the DNA process. Here’s my options and it automatically defaults to the first marriage. I will be clicking the button in front of Mary Polly Dennis and Owen Elder:

You’ll get a message from Ancestry that looks like this if it worked correctly: For a brief second a message displays stating “We’re adding (individual) to your (tree name).” When it’s processed it will display this message:

When you click “View Profile,” the individual will pop up as a page in your tree. But this is a problem as I already had the woman in my tree! Next you are going to have to merge the new information with your old information.

Click “Merge with duplicate” that is displayed right under 2nd great-grandaunt. This page will display:

Ancestry recognizes I already had the same person in the tree so I just need to click ”Select.” If Ancestry doesn’t recognize the individual, type the individual exactly as you named them in your tree. For example, perhaps you entered Sarah as Sarah E. Elder instead of Sarah A. Elizabeth Elder. Type what you originally had and it will display the name, birth and death information for the person you typed. Compare and if you are sure you have selected the correct individual, click “Merge” as seen below:

Now, the new info is connected to the old and the person is one on your tree. Within 24 hours, when you back to ThruLines, the individuals will be displayed just like your own data was so you can clip and use the chart as you like. Here’s what it will look like but you’ll have to go through and evaluate all of the individuals in descending order to get the chart complete.

If you are confused about the relationship that is displayed, Ancestry has a help guide available here.

Thinking About DNA Differently

Photo courtesy of istock

Often we get stuck in a mindset, for better or worse. I had two DNA conversations this week that helped me broaden my thinking about DNA.

First, I've had one of those weeks where everything tech-wise decided to stop operating. Consequently, I spent time on the phone with an IT person who was trying to get an account to accept my password. In the course of our conversation, he asked me what my business was about and as I described what a genealogist does, he said I had reminded him that he needed to upload his DNA results for his primary care physician. Wow, I hadn't realized that primary care doctors were now taking results from the big DNA organizations!

Now for the divergent thinking part of the story - I asked where he tested and he said 23andMe; he that he was SHOCKED that they knew of his close relationship with his aunt. She was his FAVORITE relative and they shared interests and food preferences. He had no idea that the company would understand how close emotionally he felt to her.

I paused to find the right words. I explained they didn't know how he felt but they knew how her genes compared to his genes and the "close" relationship meant genetically and not emotionally.

The following day a couple brought their adorable mutt into our local historical society for a tour. Yes, leashed behaved pets are allowed. This was the cutest pup I've ever seen. A colleague asked if they knew what breeds he was and the response surprised me - they had his DNA done and he was schnauzer, poodle, shih tzu, and shepherd. I've been dogless for a few years now; I had no idea you could have your dog tested.

DNA sure has come a long way in a short time!

DNA Holiday Sales

Photo courtesy of Petmd.com It's the most wonderful time of the year if you're searching for DNA sales. Limited time offers are listed here: Ancestry has a Black Friday sale that ends 11/28; a Cyber Sale for $49.00 that ends on 11/30 and a $100 off All Acess 6 month Membership which was advertised during the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving. Those deals are all through Groupon so click here to access. At the Ancestry site, they are still offering Free 14 day trials and 30% off World Explorer or All Access membership for AARP members - but you can only use those once! The specials are valid through 11/20/2021. Ancestry DNA kits are $49.00 (was $99.00) through midnight on 11/29. MyHeritage also has specials through Groupon - up to 50% off DNA, free trials for 2 weeks and a free trial with no promo code - click here. Through the MyHeritage site, they are offering DNA testing for $39.00 (was $79.00) with free shipping on 2 or more kits on Cyber Monday. Click here to take advantage of the offer. Family Tree DNA has the following offers: Family Finder + myDNA Wellness for $59.00, Family Finder $39.00 and discounts on Y-DNA and mtDNA through 11/30. Here's the link. 23andMe is offering 50% off on one Health and Ancestry Kit and 60% off when you buy two kits. Offer ends 11/29. Another option for mtDNA or Y-DNA is LivingDNA - a small but growing company that is offering kits for $59.00. Great Britain results are their largest reference samples. They also have Wellbeing Kits at $69.00 and Wellbeing/Ancestry Kits for $89.00. Not sure which to select? I've tested mtDNA and autosomal through Ancestry. They have the largest samples but don't support the mtDNA testing I first did. I've also tested with 23andMe because I wanted to know my percentage of Neandertal. If you have cave people jokes in your family that might be the option for you. I also tested with National Geographic but they are no longer doing DNA tests. I have purchased a MyHeritage test because they have a higher sample percentage of my particular eastern European ancestry. Next year I may test with FamilyTree DNA. FamilyTree DNA and MyHeritage do allow you to upload your results from 23andMe and Ancestry so you can further connect with people who may have tested on other sites. Ancestry and 23andMe DO NOT allow uploads. If your family member is worried about privacy, their results do not have to be shared. If you are interested in connecting family, then it's advisable you will want to also add information for a rudimentary family tree on the site but that's not necessary if you are only interested in determining ethnicity. Keep in mind, though, that the ethnicity estimates are only as strong as the sample that has tested so your results will change over time. I have been Jewish and then it was gone. I have been German and then it was gone. Now it's French. I have been Irish but then it was gone and I became Scotts. You will probably discover, like me, you are a Mutt! Mutts are loveable and I'd much prefer there resistant genetic makeup than that of a purebred. Plus it's more fun to research! Happy shopping.

Welcome, Cuz - NPE Results in a Newly Found Relative

This has been an unusual week for me. In August 2017 I emailed someone on Ancestry asking how they were related as the individual had no online tree. I suggested the match was for a particular surname. This week, I got a reply. Yes, it was over 4 years after I sent the initial inquiry. Genealogy is a study in patience! The woman had not gotten an email from Ancestry notifying her that I had messaged her. Recently, her sister had tested and she decided to go back on and see her matches. She had difficult logging on so contacted Ancestry. What a surprise she discovered when she finally saw her matches. She was only 22% related to her sister and 21% percent related to someone she had gone to school with. Then she saw my message and discovered the schoolmate had the same surname I was asking her about. Unfortunately, the schoolmate had died last year so she could not contact him. She found his obituary and discovered he had a brother and the name of his parents. She was shaken to her core, understandably, as who she thought was her father was not biologically hers. She called her sister who responded by laughing. Her sister, only 2 and a half years older than her, had no idea and hadn’t even looked closely at her own Ancestry results. The woman spoke with a counselor who told this was just a mistake. The woman didn’t believe it was. She messaged me and we spoke in detail. I was able to send her some personal photos I had of her grandparents as my grandfather had evidently attended their 50th anniversary party in the 1970’s. She is coping extremely well; it’s difficult discovering a not expected parent when you get your DNA results back. Now that she has some new family,here’s what I suggested she do as she would like to contact them: DO NOT – Facebook Message/call/text or show up unexpectedly at their door DO use either an unemotionally attached middleman or email/mail a letter Here’s a template I recommend for adoptees that can be tailored to work for NEP’s: I am (insert your name) and I understand that this note may come as a surprise to you. I don’t want to upset anyone but I am hoping to learn about my family’s medical history. I was adopted in (insert date). Recently, I had my DNA tested through (insert company). I have just been diagnosed with (insert illness) and I’m hoping to connect with my biological relatives who may help me better understand my genetic background. Please know I do not want to intrude. I am simply wanting knowledge about my family’s health. I can be reached at (insert phone) or at (insert email). Sincerely, I also recommended she read, The Stranger in My Genes by Bill Griffeth. In her case, her mother is deceased so she may not ever discover what really happened. It’s likely the father who raised her had no idea but she did not look like her sibling and there was always a joke in the family that she was the daughter of the milkman. The father who raised her was a milkman. It’s unlikely he would have made that joke if he knew the truth. Like so many others who discover the information, she reported she never felt connected to her family. I do believe we have an unexplainable sense of belongingness to those who share a genetic background with us. Maybe someday how that works will be understandable to us. In the meantime, I say Welcome, cuz, to the family!