Blog Archive

Genetic Genealogy

What is a Nebula Genomics DNA test?

Whole Genome Sequencing Nebula Genomics is a Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) test.  Whole genome sequencing reads 6.4 billion locations in your genome, which is approximately 10,000 times more than the number of markers tested in

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Family History

Unknown Anzacs in family photo album

Unknown Anzacs in family photo album Below I have shared two photographs of unknown Anzac soldiers found in a family photo album that belonged to a cousin of my mother. I have limited information about

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Genetic Genealogy

Do you recognise Pietro?

Do you recognise Pietro? Pietro never knew he had a daughter – named Franca.  Franca started looking for her father, or at least his identity, after her mother passed away in 2012.  Pietro would probably

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Genetic Genealogy

Kathleen, your aunt is looking for you!

Joan searched for her niece for 41 years Joan Dunbar of Cairns in Far North Queensland, started searching for her niece, Kathleen, after her brother Charles died in 1980.  Joan knows that her niece’s name

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Genetic Genealogy

What is an AncestryDNA test?

What is an AncestryDNA test? An AncestryDNA® test is an easy-to-do-at-home DNA test that uses a small amount of your saliva to extract your DNA.  If you can spit-a-little-bit, you can do it.  AncestryDNA tests

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Genetic Genealogy

Tips for Using GEDmatch

[Updated 21 Nov 2023] Tips for Using GEDmatch GEDmatch is a popular website used by genetic genealogists and family historians who are incorporating DNA evidence into their family history research.  Common questions asked in genetic

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Genetic Genealogy

What is a Family Finder test?

What is a Family Finder test? A Family Finder test is a very simple DNA test that anyone of any age or gender can do.  It is called ‘Family Finder’ because it has the potential

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Genetic Genealogy

How to Establish a DNA Interest Group

How to Establish a DNA Interest Group Thousands of genealogists have tested their DNA for family history purposes, but from my experience it seems that many are not members of DNA Interest Groups (DIGs) or

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Genetic Genealogy

X-DNA’s helpful inheritance patterns

X-DNA’s helpful inheritance patterns When you test your autosomal DNA at any of the five genealogy DNA testing companies (ie. Ancestry, 23andMe, MyHeritage, Family Tree DNA, Living DNA), your X-chromosome is also examined and X-DNA

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Genetic Genealogy

mtDNA: the Direct Maternal Line

Mitochondrial DNA – the direct maternal line Everyone inherits mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from their mother – through her mother, her mother, her mother, her mother, and so on – represented by the pink boxes on

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Genetic Genealogy

Y-DNA: the Direct Paternal Line

Y-DNA – the direct paternal line All males inherit Y-chromosomes from their father – through his father, his father, his father, etc – represented by the direct paternal line as per the blue boxes on

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Genetic Genealogy

What types of DNA tests are available?

What types of DNA tests are available? For genealogical purposes, there are three main types of DNA tests that are available: Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) tests for the direct paternal line, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) tests for the direct maternal

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Genetic Genealogy

Should my siblings test their DNA too?

Should my siblings test too? This is a question often asked and heard in the genetic genealogy community.  Should I test my siblings too?  Would it help our family history research if siblings test their

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Genetic Genealogy

Introduction to DNA Testing for Genealogy

DNA testing for genealogy Family history groups and societies have been abuzz with excitement over recent years, as DNA testing becomes mainstream for genealogists, and more and more are incorporating DNA evidence into their family

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