| Why Build a Genetic Family Tree? |
| You actually have two family trees: a genetic family tree and a genealogical family tree. Your genealogical family tree can hold hundreds, even thousands, of people. Your fifth-great-uncle, your seventh cousin three times removed. Anyone! There is no limit. But your genetic family tree is very limited. It contains only those people you share DNA with. Statistically speaking you will ALWAYS have some amount of DNA inherited from your 64 fourth-great-grandparents. But you WON’T always have DNA from all of your 128 fifth-great-grandparents. So right there, your genetic tree has shrunk. Similarly, while you could catalogue all of your fourth cousins and put them in your genealogical family tree, you will only share DNA with about half of your fourth cousins. So again, your tree shrinks. So why make a genetic family tree? Here are two good reasons: 1. A genetic family tree helps you verify your genealogical family tree. Whenever you see a DNA cousin that you know your relationship to, your first step should be to check genetics vs. genealogy. That means you take a look at their genetic relationship (that amount of DNA) and make sure it validates that genealogy relationship (second cousin). If it does, then voila! You have just validated that branch of your family tree. 2. Connecting with living cousins of known ancestors may just help you build your family tree. That cousin may have pictures or artifacts or stories to share to help you bring your family tree to life! Remember that building your family tree is about more than just names on a chart, but it is about telling their stories. So what are you waiting for? Time to build that DNA tree. |
