Rewriting the Tree of Humankind: The Million Mito Project – What Is It, How We Did It, and What It Means To You
The mitochondrial tree of humanity has been rewritten, connecting all of us more closely than ever before on the new Mitotree. Everyone receives mitochondrial DNA only from their mother, who receives it from her mother, and so forth, all the way back in time to Mitochondrial Eve. Mitochondrial DNA is never admixed with the DNA of the other parent, so you never have to sort out which lines it comes from. We are all leaves on the twigs on the branches of the tree of humankind. The mitochondrial tree had not been updated since 2016, but now, with more than a Million samples to work with, 50 times more than before, the tree structure has been expanded eight-fold by combining samples from academic publications, ancient DNA, public sources and testers at FamilyTreeDNA. The new Mitotree and tools provide information never before available to genealogists about their matrilineal lineages. In addition to the vastly expanded genetic tree, FamilyTreeDNA has rolled out the companion MitoDiscover, a dozen fascinating chapters in your mitochondrial book. As a Million Mito Team member, Roberta will explain the challenges we overcame to create the tree of humanity – and how it’s useful to genealogists. All genealogists can benefit from the results of the Million Mito Project, because everyone has mitochondrial DNA that holds keys to information never before available! Let those brick walls fall!!!
The mitochondrial tree of humanity has been rewritten, connecting all of us more closely than ever before on the new Mitotree. Everyone receives mitochondrial DNA only from their mother, who receives it from her mother, and so forth, all the way back in time to Mitochondrial Eve. Mitochondrial DNA is never admixed with the DNA of the other parent, so you never have to sort out which lines it comes from. We are all leaves on the twigs on the branches of the tree of humankind. The mitochondrial tree had not been updated since 2016, but now, with more than a Million samples to work with, 50 times more than before, the tree structure has been expanded eight-fold by combining samples from academic publications, ancient DNA, public sources and testers at FamilyTreeDNA. The new Mitotree and tools provide information never before available to genealogists about their matrilineal lineages. In addition to the vastly expanded genetic tree, FamilyTreeDNA has rolled out the companion MitoDiscover, a dozen fascinating chapters in your mitochondrial book. As a Million Mito Team member, Roberta will explain the challenges we overcame to create the tree of humanity – and how it’s useful to genealogists. All genealogists can benefit from the results of the Million Mito Project, because everyone has mitochondrial DNA that holds keys to information never before available! Let those brick walls fall!!!
Do you have mystery matches? Would you like to figure out how they are related to you? Which ancestors you share? Here are six ways to do exactly that!
Do you have mystery matches? Would you like to figure out how they are related to you? Which ancestors you share? Here are six ways to do exactly that!
In the first part of Tests, Vendors, Tools and You, we will discuss how and where to start your genealogy and DNA testing. Every testing vendor has different tools to help genealogists. We will learn how to best utilize the resources of each vendor. First, we’ll start out by discussing goals, along with an overview and best features of the four major vendors; 23andMe, Ancestry, FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage. We will also touch on five third party tools that will be more fully explored in the third session of this series. I’ll introduce the four types of DNA for genetic genealogy, when to use each, and a tried and true methodology to create a genetic pedigree chart. We cover the basics of ethnicity, triangulation, why you’ll want to use a chromosome browser to prove ancestors, and chromosome painting. Ancestry offers a wide variety of genetic genealogy features and tools, and we’ll discuss how to get the most out of your DNA test at Ancestry, including ethnicity, Communities, SideView, matching, shared and parental matches, common ancestors and their flagship tool, ThruLines.
In the first part of Tests, Vendors, Tools and You, we will discuss how and where to start your genealogy and DNA testing. Every testing vendor has different tools to help genealogists. We will learn how to best utilize the resources of each vendor. First, we’ll start out by discussing goals, along with an overview and best features of the four major vendors; 23andMe, Ancestry, FamilyTreeDNA and MyHeritage. We will also touch on five third party tools that will be more fully explored in the third session of this series. I’ll introduce the four types of DNA for genetic genealogy, when to use each, and a tried and true methodology to create a genetic pedigree chart. We cover the basics of ethnicity, triangulation, why you’ll want to use a chromosome browser to prove ancestors, and chromosome painting. Ancestry offers a wide variety of genetic genealogy features and tools, and we’ll discuss how to get the most out of your DNA test at Ancestry, including ethnicity, Communities, SideView, matching, shared and parental matches, common ancestors and their flagship tool, ThruLines.
FamilyTreeDNA, the first genetic genealogy testing vendor, beginning in 2000, is also the only vendor that provides Y-DNA (paternal/surname line for males,) mitochondrial DNA (direct maternal line for everyone), autosomal and X-DNA testing and matching. Additionally, they provide ethnicity testing and segment chromosome painting, ethnicity match comparison, a chromosome browser, group projects, time trees, advanced matching across product lines, matches map, family side matching, a match matrix of matches you select, and limited triangulation. We will discuss the added tool of X matching, which is includes with autosomal and has a unique inheritance path, creating additional hints as to common ancestors. We discuss why you want to create a genetic pedigree chart, what you will learn, and how to find information for lines that you can’t test either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA for directly. Group projects can be and are extremely helpful. FamilyTreeDNA’s flagship Big Y-700 is the only test of its kind in the industry, provides many tools and integrates with the free Discover tool to provide unique information about your ancestor’s paternal lineages – both individually and through group projects. Lineages can often be defined quite granularly, with branches every few generations. Discover also provides both ancient connections via archaeology digs and notable connections documented through other testers. The Million Mito Project is rewriting the maternal tree of humankind and will have its own MitoDiscover soon.
FamilyTreeDNA, the first genetic genealogy testing vendor, beginning in 2000, is also the only vendor that provides Y-DNA (paternal/surname line for males,) mitochondrial DNA (direct maternal line for everyone), autosomal and X-DNA testing and matching. Additionally, they provide ethnicity testing and segment chromosome painting, ethnicity match comparison, a chromosome browser, group projects, time trees, advanced matching across product lines, matches map, family side matching, a match matrix of matches you select, and limited triangulation. We will discuss the added tool of X matching, which is includes with autosomal and has a unique inheritance path, creating additional hints as to common ancestors. We discuss why you want to create a genetic pedigree chart, what you will learn, and how to find information for lines that you can’t test either Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA for directly. Group projects can be and are extremely helpful. FamilyTreeDNA’s flagship Big Y-700 is the only test of its kind in the industry, provides many tools and integrates with the free Discover tool to provide unique information about your ancestor’s paternal lineages – both individually and through group projects. Lineages can often be defined quite granularly, with branches every few generations. Discover also provides both ancient connections via archaeology digs and notable connections documented through other testers. The Million Mito Project is rewriting the maternal tree of humankind and will have its own MitoDiscover soon.
A lot has changed at 23andMe in the past few months, and we’ll review the differences and their new normal. Their best feature, the genetic tree, provides valuable family associations along with hints, as does their ethnicity segment painting. We’ll learn how to use and optimize both. My Heritage provides many helpful features and tools for genetic genealogists, including ethnicity, Genetic Groups, easy triangulation, segment information, smart matching, location and surname info, along with AutoClusters which clusters your matches into groups. They offer many filters to assist with viewing matches in multiple ways. Their leading edge tool, Theories of Family Relativity, combines DNA matches, trees and records information to create theories about your common ancestors. Next, there’s an overview of third party resources, DNAPainter, GEDmatch, Genetic Affairs, WikiTree, and FamilySearch – when and how you want to utilize each one. We close with how to create your own recipe for success. I share my own tools and methodologies.
A lot has changed at 23andMe in the past few months, and we’ll review the differences and their new normal. Their best feature, the genetic tree, provides valuable family associations along with hints, as does their ethnicity segment painting. We’ll learn how to use and optimize both. My Heritage provides many helpful features and tools for genetic genealogists, including ethnicity, Genetic Groups, easy triangulation, segment information, smart matching, location and surname info, along with AutoClusters which clusters your matches into groups. They offer many filters to assist with viewing matches in multiple ways. Their leading edge tool, Theories of Family Relativity, combines DNA matches, trees and records information to create theories about your common ancestors. Next, there’s an overview of third party resources, DNAPainter, GEDmatch, Genetic Affairs, WikiTree, and FamilySearch – when and how you want to utilize each one. We close with how to create your own recipe for success. I share my own tools and methodologies.
Great news! FamilyTreeDNA is now using the MyHeritage tree platform. You can easily transfer your existing FamilyTreeDNA tree, create a new tree, or link to your existing MyHeritage tree. Each option has benefits. A handy decision guide is included in the syllabus. This webinar provides step-by-step instructions on both platforms, plus a problem-solving section, aka, “things I wish I had known…sooner.” We close with a 10-point summary.
Great news! FamilyTreeDNA is now using the MyHeritage tree platform. You can easily transfer your existing FamilyTreeDNA tree, create a new tree, or link to your existing MyHeritage tree. Each option has benefits. A handy decision guide is included in the syllabus. This webinar provides step-by-step instructions on both platforms, plus a problem-solving section, aka, “things I wish I had known…sooner.” We close with a 10-point summary.
What are reasonable testing goals for Y-DNA, and why do we want to take Y-DNA tests anyway? What can we discover when we test, and when we encourage our cousins to test? Where and how do we find those cousin? I’m “collecting” Y-DNA testers from each of my ancestral lines to reveal their history that has been forgotten to time – and to assure my recent genealogy is accurate. Who were my ancestors? Where did they come from? How are they related to other people, including ancient burials and notable people who lived more recently?
I’m sharing several fun case studies from my own genealogy. Come join me on my journey as I discover that my ancestor is related to a burial along the old Roman Road in France, who lived there before the Romans, and what that means to me today. I’ll also share with you how I solved an adoption case within a generation with JUST Y-DNA, and how I then used autosomal DNA matches to augment and refine that information. In another case, we learned something VERY interesting!!! Oh, and I almost forgot, another of my ancestors appears to have been a retired Roman soldier in England. My Jewish friend provided that his ancestors settled in Spain and exactly when they migrated to Eastern Europe, and another tester discovered that he and a famous lineage match. Their ancestors are found in the baptismal records of the same church in England, but their common ancestor reaches back to the peoples buried beneath the Saxon tombstones outside. How did we Discover all of this???
Once you adopt Y-DNA testing, you’ll have fascinating success stories of your own too.
What are reasonable testing goals for Y-DNA, and why do we want to take Y-DNA tests anyway? What can we discover when we test, and when we encourage our cousins to test? Where and how do we find those cousin? I’m “collecting” Y-DNA testers from each of my ancestral lines to reveal their history that has been forgotten to time – and to assure my recent genealogy is accurate. Who were my ancestors? Where did they come from? How are they related to other people, including ancient burials and notable people who lived more recently?
I’m sharing several fun case studies from my own genealogy. Come join me on my journey as I discover that my ancestor is related to a burial along the old Roman Road in France, who lived there before the Romans, and what that means to me today. I’ll also share with you how I solved an adoption case within a generation with JUST Y-DNA, and how I then used autosomal DNA matches to augment and refine that information. In another case, we learned something VERY interesting!!! Oh, and I almost forgot, another of my ancestors appears to have been a retired Roman soldier in England. My Jewish friend provided that his ancestors settled in Spain and exactly when they migrated to Eastern Europe, and another tester discovered that he and a famous lineage match. Their ancestors are found in the baptismal records of the same church in England, but their common ancestor reaches back to the peoples buried beneath the Saxon tombstones outside. How did we Discover all of this???
Once you adopt Y-DNA testing, you’ll have fascinating success stories of your own too.
Y DNA Discover Tool – What News Can Your Haplogroup Reveal?
Stepping through FamilyTreeDNA’s fun new Y DNA Discover tool. It’s free and all you need is your haplogroup. View your migration path, see ancient and notable DNA connections along with haplogroup ages.
Stepping through FamilyTreeDNA’s fun new Y DNA Discover tool. It’s free and all you need is your haplogroup. View your migration path, see ancient and notable DNA connections along with haplogroup ages.
We will learn step by step, how to utilize mitochondrial DNA testing at Family Tree DNA to get the most out of your results. We’ll look at little known methods to obtain information, even if your match doesn’t have a tree. We’ll talk about using resources such as Geni, WikiTree and others to break down mitochondrial brick walls. Lastly, we’ll discuss projects and using mitochondrial DNA in conjunction with autosomal for a slam-dunk.
We will learn step by step, how to utilize mitochondrial DNA testing at Family Tree DNA to get the most out of your results. We’ll look at little known methods to obtain information, even if your match doesn’t have a tree. We’ll talk about using resources such as Geni, WikiTree and others to break down mitochondrial brick walls. Lastly, we’ll discuss projects and using mitochondrial DNA in conjunction with autosomal for a slam-dunk.
Paint Your Way Up Your Tree with MyHeritage and DNAPainter
Utilizing MyHeritage autosomal tools such as SmartMatches, Theories of Family Relativity and Autoclusters, learn how to literally paint your way back in time using DNAPainter to determine which ancestors your DNA came from. A great way to confirm your tree and so much FUN!
Utilizing MyHeritage autosomal tools such as SmartMatches, Theories of Family Relativity and Autoclusters, learn how to literally paint your way back in time using DNAPainter to determine which ancestors your DNA came from. A great way to confirm your tree and so much FUN!
10 Ways to Find Your Native American Ancestor Using Y, Mitochondrial and Autosomal DNA
Utilizing Y DNA, mitochondrial and autosomal DNA in addition to traditional research, let's find Native ancestors. How to leverage your matches at various vendors, ethnicity, and DNAPainter.
Utilizing Y DNA, mitochondrial and autosomal DNA in addition to traditional research, let's find Native ancestors. How to leverage your matches at various vendors, ethnicity, and DNAPainter.
Step by step, how to utilize Y DNA testing at Family Tree DNA to get the most out of your results. We'll look at little known methods to obtain information, even if your match doesn't have a tree. Wonder about the Big Y test? We'll talk about why that's important…
Step by step, how to utilize Y DNA testing at Family Tree DNA to get the most out of your results. We'll look at little known methods to obtain information, even if your match doesn't have a tree. Wonder about the Big Y test? We'll talk about why that's important…
Yorkshire was an area of great migration, those who moved within the county, those who moved in and out of the county and those who left Yorkshire and England. Most Europeans who emigrated travelled to America with more than 2 million English moving to America in the 1800s. The changes during the 1800s through the effects, and aftereffects, of the Industrial Revolution created great change in Yorkshire as well as the decline in lead mining and farming in rural areas and the Yorkshire dales. As people lost opportunities to earn a living in these areas they were pulled to the opportunities further afield, the mills towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire and further afield to America then later to Canada and Australia. As a member of a family emigrated this created a greater pull for friends and family to join them creating communities in another country. This was the case in New Diggings in Wisconsin where many people from Swaledale and Wensleydale left the declining lead mines to start new lives in the growing mines of America. This talk will explore the people who emigrated, the villages they left and the communities they joined along with the Yorkshire surnames which are now part of American life. Oral histories documented in the book ‘Those Who Left the Dales’ by the Upper Dales Family History Group are referred to as well as immigration records and original documents held at North Yorkshire Archives including the publication ‘History of New Diggings’ and a Dakota ‘recruiting’ lecture given in Wensleydale. The talk will provide an insight into the reasons for leaving Yorkshire, particularly the Yorkshire Dales, and the lives of those who emigrated.
Yorkshire was an area of great migration, those who moved within the county, those who moved in and out of the county and those who left Yorkshire and England. Most Europeans who emigrated travelled to America with more than 2 million English moving to America in the 1800s. The changes during the 1800s through the effects, and aftereffects, of the Industrial Revolution created great change in Yorkshire as well as the decline in lead mining and farming in rural areas and the Yorkshire dales. As people lost opportunities to earn a living in these areas they were pulled to the opportunities further afield, the mills towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire and further afield to America then later to Canada and Australia. As a member of a family emigrated this created a greater pull for friends and family to join them creating communities in another country. This was the case in New Diggings in Wisconsin where many people from Swaledale and Wensleydale left the declining lead mines to start new lives in the growing mines of America. This talk will explore the people who emigrated, the villages they left and the communities they joined along with the Yorkshire surnames which are now part of American life. Oral histories documented in the book ‘Those Who Left the Dales’ by the Upper Dales Family History Group are referred to as well as immigration records and original documents held at North Yorkshire Archives including the publication ‘History of New Diggings’ and a Dakota ‘recruiting’ lecture given in Wensleydale. The talk will provide an insight into the reasons for leaving Yorkshire, particularly the Yorkshire Dales, and the lives of those who emigrated.
Las 10 bases de datos más útiles para la investigación sobre Europa del Este
Tue, February 24 2026: 14:00 UTC
Con más información disponible en línea, a menudo es posible encontrar registros clave de sus antepasados de Europa del Este en bases de datos gratuitas y de suscripción. Obtenga información sobre los distintos conjuntos de registros disponibles, cómo acceder a ellos y cómo superar los problemas de privacidad e idioma, así como otros obstáculos para la investigación.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
Con más información disponible en línea, a menudo es posible encontrar registros clave de sus antepasados de Europa del Este en bases de datos gratuitas y de suscripción. Obtenga información sobre los distintos conjuntos de registros disponibles, cómo acceder a ellos y cómo superar los problemas de privacidad e idioma, así como otros obstáculos para la investigación.
Los subtítulos y la voz de este vídeo se han doblado al español utilizando IA.
We are so busy searching and documenting the past and our ancestors, but don’t stop to think that someday we will be the ancestors of someone. What are we leaving behind besides the genealogical legacy? Will our descendants know who WE really were? our unique voice, our feelings and experiences, what messages and lessons do we leave behind?
We are so busy searching and documenting the past and our ancestors, but don’t stop to think that someday we will be the ancestors of someone. What are we leaving behind besides the genealogical legacy? Will our descendants know who WE really were? our unique voice, our feelings and experiences, what messages and lessons do we leave behind?
Confusion. Too many “favorites” lists. Too many “Top 100” lists. Too many opinions. Indeed, that’s just what the myriads of “top website” lists are: somebody’s opinion. Well, it’s time to make a better and truly useful list! Based on an extensive study of genealogical web traffic, here are the 50 most visited real genealogy websites. Since these are the most visited sites, they must be doing something right and providing some value to their visitors. Count them down, and learn what you’ve been missing!
Confusion. Too many “favorites” lists. Too many “Top 100” lists. Too many opinions. Indeed, that’s just what the myriads of “top website” lists are: somebody’s opinion. Well, it’s time to make a better and truly useful list! Based on an extensive study of genealogical web traffic, here are the 50 most visited real genealogy websites. Since these are the most visited sites, they must be doing something right and providing some value to their visitors. Count them down, and learn what you’ve been missing!
Les 10 bases de données les plus utiles pour la recherche sur l’Europe de l’Est
Thu, February 26 2026: 14:00 UTC
Grâce à la multitude d’informations disponibles en ligne, il est souvent possible de trouver des documents clés concernant vos ancêtres d’Europe de l’Est dans des bases de données gratuites ou payantes. Découvrez les différents types de documents disponibles, comment y accéder et comment surmonter les problèmes liés à la confidentialité, à la langue et autres obstacles à la recherche.
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l’aide de l’IA.
Grâce à la multitude d’informations disponibles en ligne, il est souvent possible de trouver des documents clés concernant vos ancêtres d’Europe de l’Est dans des bases de données gratuites ou payantes. Découvrez les différents types de documents disponibles, comment y accéder et comment surmonter les problèmes liés à la confidentialité, à la langue et autres obstacles à la recherche.
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l’aide de l’IA.
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