Working the Dot Method on Shared Matches

 

AncestryDNA Matches.

Working from my Dad's AncestryDNA results, I am using the dot method outlined during various Rootstech presentations by Diahan Southard of YourDNAGuide. Above is a snapshot from narrowing down the 23,311 matches on my Dad's maternal side of the tree to 84 matches who likely belong to the O'Brien/Bridget branch of the tree.

I used the dots to separate out the shared matches until I had settled on those who were likely shared matches of the O'Brien/Bridget branch (at the second-great-grandparent level of my Dad's results). I still have quite a bit of work to do, but it is cool to see how this approach can target the specific matches who also share DNA on the O'Brien side or Bridget's side from Roscommon & Longford.

It will be really helpful once AncestryDNA rolls out the update for DNA communities by parent to sort those matches to specific regions.

I'll be repeating this approach to some of the other gaps I've covered here previously. I plan to try this same approach using Allison's grandmother's shared matches to verify the connections I highlighted back in November 2023.