A Segment-ology TIDBIT

When ThruLines finds a Common Ancestor between you and a Match, it provides the picture: The Common Ancestor at the top with the line of descent to you and the line of descent to your Match. Click on the left side of your Match’s Profile to open this diagram of descent.

Pay attention to this line of descent to your Match. Is it an unbroken all-male line down to the Match (every man would have the same Y-DNA, including the Common Ancestor), or is it an unbroken all-female line down to the Match’s mother (every person would have the same mtDNA back to the Common Ancestor’s wife (usually also a Common Ancestor)?  I’ve found a number of these cases, some to be very important to my research. Two of my ThruLine Matches carry the mtDNA of two distant female Brick Wall Ancestors. These are generally very hard to find – but it’s obvious from a quick look at the ThruLine diagram. Three of my ThruLine Matches carry the Y-DNA of our Common Ancestors. Sometimes the Match is excited about helping establish the mt or Y DNA haplogroup or “signature” of our Common Ancestor – other Matches couldn’t be bothered… I offer to help the ones willing to test.

And even if the unbroken all-male or all-female line only comes down to the Match’s parent or even to the grandparent – an interested Match may know of close, living relatives who may continue the line and be willing to test. For me, it’s certainly worth mentioning to the Match.

ThruLines may help you find mtDNA or Y-DNA candidates that might be helpful to you.

[22AJ] Segment-ology: ThruLines Helps with Y-DNA and mtDNA TIDBIT by Jim Bartlett 20190729d