Triangulation Group # in email header
Good morning Cousins,
Good morning Cousins,
According to a segment analysis
and triangulation on Gedmatch we share a common set of grandparents or a common grandparent
sometime in the past. Collectively we are identified as a triangulation group or TG. Our challenge is to compare our trees and find who our common ancestors are.
My most up to date tree is on
Wikitree and is listed as Shoff-7. Please study it closely. I’m showing you mine,
will you show me yours?
Wikitree is about collaboration
with other genealogists; sharing stories and sources to bring our ancestors
together linking them in one worldwide tree that is free of redundancies.
I encourage anyone who is serious
about genealogy to upload or build a tree on this dynamically awesome free
site. Wikitree has volunteers who are very helpful if you have any challenges. The
benefit of its easy access, cousins working together, experts mentoring novices,
and interface with Gedmatch tools is unparalleled.
Be sure to include your Gedmatch
number on your profile page on WikiTree. In addition to traditional sourcing and
documentation, triangulation is fast becoming the most powerful scientific tool
to validate or disprove an ancestral link.
DNA does not lie* when used within
specific guideline parameters:
1. Three people who are not too closely related share the same ancestor in a sourced documented tree. (sources may include:
books, periodicals, newpaper articles, census records, ship logs, birth
records, marriage records, land records, wills, court records, bible records,
personal knowledge of those who have firsthand knowledge.) You may utilize
sources by other researchers from other sites. (Please acknowledge their
contribution by insertion of internet url to their site. Such as Rootsweb
Worldconnect) Photographs and actual document scans are especially appreciated. (see my up coming blog on easy sourcing)
2. The three people match on the same segment
of the same chromosome.
3. The length of the shared segment is 16 cM’s or greater.
(In the future smaller segment
sizes may be considered valid evidence. As of April 2017, the 16 cM size is considered as solid evidence.)
This is how we triangulate:
(I insert cropped screen shot here.)Here is a of screenshot
from Gedmatch Tier 1 tools showing segment triangulation with contact
information of those in this shared triangulation group. Please, let’s collaborate
with each other sharing trees and helping each other find our common ancestor.
(You may already have the answer in your tree and, by registering and uploading
to Wikitree we may immediately find our common ancestor who links all of us
together with yet another cousin who is already using the Wikitree site.
(I insert cropped screen shot here.) Here is a screenshot
of my graphic triangulation tree from Tier 1 Gedmatch tools that shows another
perspective of how we link. (For those who better understand through visualization.)
Kudos in advance to our cousin
who first announces our common ancestors to our TG.
Please use this triangulation group
number in emails headers when collaborating with
other members of our triangulation group. (TG)
Scientific understanding is not
necessary to make triangulation work. This would be like understanding how
electricity works in order to have a light. I am simply sharing with you how to
locate the switch and turn it on.
Your cousin,
Barbara Shoff
Thebunglingdnagenealogist.com
Gedmatch #: T689325
WikiTree: Shoff-7
P.S. If you decide to contribute
to Gedmatch Tier 1 tools and download your own segment and triangulation
analysis, feel free to use this letter written by Barbara Shoff as a template for
contacting cousins. I used the Paint application for inserted graphics.
If you want to understand the way
the electricity works I recommend:
https://segmentology.org/ Start with Jim Bartlett’s very first blog.
https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA Your eyes may cross if you haven’t yet read
Jim Bartlett’s blog.
*DNA results can be misinterpreted; that is why it is important to use larger segments in triangulation.
*DNA results can be misinterpreted; that is why it is important to use larger segments in triangulation.
Thank you so much for sharing this letter and encouraging people to post their trees on WikiTree and their DNA results on GedMatch. I am trying to find my 68-year old husband's birth parents and the more info like this that I have, the better my chances. Peg
ReplyDeletePeg, I am going to post a PM sheet I send to adoptees. You will also want to join FB group, DNA Detectives. It was started by CeCe Moore to aid adoptees and anyone with brickwalls that need to be knocked down.
DeleteYou seem like you're pretty conversant with the use of GEDmatch tools. What book, or preferably website would you recommend to getting an understanding of GEDmatch? I find it pretty geeky, and even though I've been staring at it for almost two years, still unapproachable in many ways. As an adoptee looking for triangulating matches, I'd sure hate to see the reaction of a needed first or second cousin match to this website! At least I have a degree in computer network administration under my belt, most people would just glaze over at GEDmatch.
ReplyDeleteD R Hunter, I am about the least geeky person I know. I too stared at Gedmatch for a couple of years. I began play with people who match on one or both of two kits. Searching the gedcoms and planning on writing the matching Gedmatch number to see if people were in my one to many. Most of them didin't have Gedmatch numbers but their trees are on Gedmatch, I still can't figure that out. Then I read Jim Bartlett's blog. I am on a VERY fixed budget but decided I had to find out what he was writing about. Bingo! All I had to do now was write letters to these people and tell them we match somewhere. Like everything when it comes to genealogy, I just blunder my way around. Where did you do your autosomal test? If it's on ancestry you can exploit their program with a Mirror Tree. There is a fabulous FB group, DNA Detectives. They have great mentors. In their files at the top of the page are some very good resources. In fact, just for your comment I will post the page I private message adoptees. That way it will be out there for everyone to see. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteOn the left side of your GEDmatch home page is wealth of info about atDNA and using various parts of GEDmatch. Every new GEDmatch user should read through the links in the "Learn More" box. Also there are two levels for using GEDmatch: 1 is just looking at all the Matches (closest ones at the top of the list) and emailing then and sharing info and trying to determine Common Ancestor(s) - this is just basic genealogy; 2 is understanding how helpful close relatives are by finding Matches who also match close cousins, and learning about Triangulation and how that groups Matches. We always need to be #1 genenealogists; and add in #2 DNA as we learn and understand it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jim!
Delete