DNA Next Steps - Chromosome Browsers and DNA Painter

I first ventured into DNA with Ancestry's kit in February 2015. At that time I was satisfied with the ethnicity estimate since it matched my known tree. In 2017 I took the MyHeritage DNA test and the ethnicity estimate varied from the Ancestry results. I started wondering how this all works. In February of 2018, I received my 23andMe test results and noticed similar report formats as presented by MyHeritage. Because of this I am starting to understand how I can use my DNA results to understand more about my heritage.

Each testing company uses its own DNA test pools to determine ethnicity results. MyHeritage allows you to upload raw DNA results from other companies to test against their pool of DNA and to analyze the results using their tools.

One of the tools that MyHeritage uses is called the Chromosome Browser. MyHeritage is not the only website to use a chromosome browser however it was the first one I became familiar with. Chromosome Browsers allow you to visualize the data that is presented from the DNA tests so you can more easily understand the what segments of DNA you share with relatives.

My ethnicity results are displayed in the above Ancestry Composition Chromosome Painting on the 23andMe website. The format is the same as the Chromosome Browser on the MyHeritage website. The difference being that there are two sets for every line. In the set the top line represents your paternal line and the bottom your maternal line.

The above DNA Comparison View on 23andMe is very similar to the Chromosome Browser on MyHeritage.

If you look at the two charts the information presented about the chromosome segments are almost identical. The data used to create these two charts are from separate DNA tests. Both my aunt and I have taken MyHeritage and 23andMe DNA tests.

DNA Painter is a chromosome mapping tool that allows you to easily color-code different segments of your DNA. This color coded map allows you to see overlapping or common segments between relatives. Mapping your different segments would allow you to see how other DNA matches from unknown relatives link to you. This also has a top and bottom set for each line of DNA with paternal represented on top and maternal on bottom.

In the above example, I know how Zac Trotter in yellow is related to me but I do not know how I am related to Mary Allred in blue. However, the DNA segments in line 3 and line 11 show Zac is also related to my aunt. Lines 1, 15, and 16 show Mary Allred is related to my aunt Connee. None of the yelow or blue segments overlap showing that Zac and Mary are not related. This suggests that one is related through the Trotter line and the other the Taylor line, both lines I share with my aunt.

All of the above colored segments correspond with my paternal side and are on the top line with the exception of the two segments that are color-coded for my Scandinavian segment markers. Zac and aunt Connee both have DNA segments that correspond with the Scandinavian segments. This suggests that the Scandinavian heritage comes through the Trotter line. However, with out adding information from my maternal line this information is not conclusive and may result in false conclusions, more on that experience later.

I am still learning to understand my DNA and the ways I can use the results for researching my family but I sure would like more of my known relatives to share DNA information with me the way my aunt Connee has. I also need to encourage my close relatives who have taken DNA tests to either share their raw DNA with me or to upload them to MyHeritage or DNA Painter. More to come on that process later.

If you have questions, suggestions or more information to share about chromosome mapping please let me know in the comments below. This looks like an interesting journey and I have just scratched the surface on learning about DNA results and how to use them.