Fixed – Attaching DNA results to family trees


Last week, we reported on the overwhelming popularity of attaching DNA results to member’s family trees and the latency that the tree propagation feature was experiencing.  Today, I am happy to report that the latency and intermittency has been fixed.  Once DNA has successfully been attached to the first person, the DNA results will, for most, be instantly inferred up a lineage for a maximum of 20 generations and down a single generation.  In the event of an adoption, DNA can easily be detached from the individual, thus stopping the propagation. 

Three types of DNA may be represented on a tree:

  1. Actual.  DNA attached to the node from an actual participant.
  2. Inferred.  DNA that has been propagated up or down a lineage.  
  3. Copied.  DNA that was “found” and copied from one node to another.  (This is like finding a birth certificate or picture and copying it to your tree.)

To attach DNA to your tree, follow these steps:

  1. Login to www.dna.ancestry.com.
  2. From the Ancestry or View DNA Results pages, click on Attach Results to Tree (on the right hand side of the screen.)attachtotree.JPG
  3. Accept the Content Submission Agreement and then choose Attach.
  4. Attach DNA results to someone in your tree by selecting the appropriate tree and choosing the appropriate person within the tree.

DNA results and an indication of the type of DNA will be noted in the Person Profile page of all relevant family members.

Attaching your DNA results helps others find your family tree through DNA.  Furthermore, attaching and propagating your results will help others find and confirm a connection to your family tree.  Ancestry.com family trees already contain uploaded family photographs, stories and other media files, historical documents, ancestor life timelines and now DNA!  With 8.3 million family trees containing 810 million profiles, adding DNA results to a family tree multiples your chance of finding and making connections with genetic cousins and extending branches along your family tree.  And as more people add their results, the Ancestry.com DNA database becomes a powerful asset toward making connections and family tree discoveries. 

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February 4th, 2009
27 Responses
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Reader Comments

Comment Number:
1
Written by:
danielluther
Posted on:
February 4, 2009 at 10:46 am

How can I tell if my DNA is attached to my name by DNA and not name based.
I am a result of an affair. I am trying to use my DNA to search for my paternal side by DNA and not name.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
DNA is Awesome
Posted on:
February 4, 2009 at 1:47 pm

This is a pretty amazing feature. Can’t wait to see it once there are a lot of results in.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Joyce
Posted on:
February 4, 2009 at 4:47 pm

My brother had his DNA tested outside of Ancestry.com. I think though that Ancestry did it. It cost something like $800.00 to have it done. He is not a member of Ancestry.com. Is there a way we can have the DNA results put on our familytree.

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Tina Burton
Posted on:
February 5, 2009 at 6:14 am

I love this feature but am having a problem. The DNA did not attatch to my grandchild (my daughter’s child), although it should. How do I get it attached? Thanks, Tina

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Tina Burton
Posted on:
February 5, 2009 at 6:17 am

I need to add on my above comment/question the results that are not attached to the grandchild is the Maternal Haplogroup DNA – Tina

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 5, 2009 at 12:25 pm

Daniel, your DNA is representative of your biological paternal line, regardless of what surname is attached to that line.

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 5, 2009 at 12:32 pm

Joyce, results from other labs can be entered into Ancestry.com DNA database. From the homepage, on the lower right is a link “Transfer Results From Other Lab.” Establish an account and then you can attach your brother’s DNA to your tree, you first need to invite him to your Tree. After logging into your Ancestry.com account, find “View all my trees” in the “My Trees” menu. Then simply “invite family” to the desired tree. Be sure to assign a role of either “Contributor” or “Editor” to your brother which will allow him to both view and edit your tree (and attach his DNA.) If your brother needs help, you can log in on his behalf and attach his DNA.

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 5, 2009 at 12:36 pm

Tina, the DNA will propagate up a lineage 20 generations, but only down a lineage one generation, so only your daugher should reflect the propagated DNA, not your grandchildren.

Comment Number:
9
Written by:
John McCartney
Posted on:
February 5, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Hi Wendy,
When I click Find Matches and get a list of 80 or so near matches, the data on the right side of the screen is off the monitor. In order to scroll right, I have to go to the bottom of the list. When I scroll right, the names are off the screen on the left.
Is is possible to redesign this so we can scroll right or left at any point in the Match Table list?

Comment Number:
10
Written by:
Jennifer
Posted on:
February 5, 2009 at 10:40 pm

I manually entered my results from FamilyTree DNA. Ancestry DNA shows a box for DYS 19a and DYS 19b. FTDNA only has one box for DYS 19. Which box on Ancestry do I enter the DYS 19 value in, A or B?

Comment Number:
11
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 7, 2009 at 2:34 pm

Hi John, we are currently working on a redesign of the matches display. In the meantime, if you click inside the frame, for example just below the text, then you should be able to use your arrow keys to scroll to the right. You still have the issue with the names disappearing, but at least it saves one step.

Comment Number:
12
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 7, 2009 at 2:40 pm

Jennifer, your observable value at DYS19 should be entered into the field designated for DYS19a.

Comment Number:
13
Written by:
John W. Bishop
Posted on:
February 8, 2009 at 2:01 pm

Why are not all DNA results from other test sites not the same as Ancestry ?

Comment Number:
14
Written by:
Barbara Turley
Posted on:
February 8, 2009 at 7:50 pm

I too have DNA results from another source, long before Ancestry started doing DNA. I would like to Attach to my family tree. Will this be a possiblity?

Comment Number:
15
Written by:
James Ivan Poore
Posted on:
February 9, 2009 at 10:32 am

Hey, this is great – can hardly wait until we have many others wo attach their DNA to their Family tree. – Jim

Comment Number:
16
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 9, 2009 at 12:37 pm

Barbara, all results (manually entered or provided by Ancestry.com DNA directly) in your Ancestry.com DNA login can be attached to your online family trees, following the same process as outlined in the instructions and in this blog.

Follow the link on the homepage to transfer results from a third party.

Comment Number:
17
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 9, 2009 at 12:40 pm

John, first, reporting differs among companies because there has not been an industry standard for genetic genealogy. Furthermore, when nomenclature changes occur, these may be implemented at different times among the companies. A great marker standard chart comparison for various companies can be found here.

Comment Number:
18
Written by:
laura anderson
Posted on:
February 12, 2009 at 1:53 pm

can I transfer my data from 2008 FTM to 2009 FTM ??

Comment Number:
19
Written by:
Sherrie Conrad Nelson
Posted on:
February 12, 2009 at 1:54 pm

Do I understand correctly that only males can get their DNA checked for the advertised amount of $79.00? And the females is $179?

Comment Number:
20
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 12, 2009 at 3:49 pm

Laura, for the most accurate and in debth answers, FTM questions should be addressed to their specific product area http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/category/products/ftm/.

Comment Number:
21
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 12, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Sherrie, the $79 test is a Y 33 DNA test or a Paternal Lineage test. Females do not carry the Y chromosome and therefore would not be able to contribute their individual DNA for this test. However, females may contact a male representative and have them contribute their DNA as representation of her paternal line.

Comment Number:
22
Written by:
Sherrie Conrad Nelson
Posted on:
February 14, 2009 at 11:06 am

Thank you Wendy for explaining that too me. But I’m the sole remaining relative. All Males and Females of my linage are gone. I guess you could say I was an only child of 8. I was an only child of my biological parents. Even though they both remarried all siblings are half brothers and sisters.

Comment Number:
23
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 14, 2009 at 1:40 pm

Sherrie, if your father and his second wife had a son, this individual would still be representative of your paternal line as he would have inheritted the Y chromosome from your father. Sometimes, going up the lines to another branch and coming back down, say via an uncle’s line, will identify an appropriate male proxy candidate. Good luck.

Comment Number:
24
Written by:
Shep
Posted on:
February 15, 2009 at 9:58 am

I’ve attached my DNA results to all my trees on Ancestry.
However, on my main tree it doesn’t link through to all paternal ancestors but it does on other trees?
Anyone know why this is?

Comment Number:
25
Written by:
Ginger Smith
Posted on:
February 17, 2009 at 7:39 am

What does it mean when your results include people from different surnames for the y-chromosome test?

Comment Number:
26
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 17, 2009 at 2:32 pm

Ginger, this is the beauty of DNA testing–finding people you could be related to who you may not have suspected before. Our natural inclination is to search for things of like nature e.g. persons with similar last names; however, this excludes persons who could be related via non paternal events i.e. adoption, etc. Having a match with someone of a different surname within a genealogically relevant time frame indicates a strong likelihood of your sharing a common ancestor with this person. Using Ancestry.com’s connection service, you can contact this person, collaborate on your family history and work to determine where and whom this ancestor is.

Comment Number:
27
Written by:
Wendy Jessen, Ancestry.com
Posted on:
February 21, 2009 at 3:20 pm

Shep, please check the relationship type. DNA will only propagate on biological relationships.