Content
About this webinar
WATO plus is a more intuitive and flexible version of the popular “What are the Odds?” tool at dnapainter.com. It helps genealogists test different hypotheses when exploring where a DNA tester might fit within a family tree. Jonny will demonstrate how to use WATO plus to compare scenarios, interpret related matches, and make the most of its new features.
About the speaker
Key points and insights
Unlocking complex family mysteries becomes significantly more manageable when pairing genetic data with advanced analysis tools. In this presentation, web developer and genealogist Jonny Perl presents a deep dive into What are the Odds? (WATO) Plus, a cutting-edge web application hosted on DNAPainter.com. The webinar walks researchers through the process of formulating structured research questions, constructing candidate trees, and leveraging statistical models to evaluate how an unknown individual or match fits into a known family line. Whether you are tackling elusive brick walls, identifying biological parents, or placing mystery matches, WATO+ delivers a systematic, data-driven approach to standardizing genetic genealogy research.
Key takeaways from the presentation include:
- Streamlined Structured Frameworks: Unlike original versions that relied on generic inputs, WATO+ introduces structured research questions, percentage-based relative probabilities, and streamlined hypothesis-building to instantly clarify how tester matches fit within candidate trees.
- Age-Based Probability Weighting: Researchers can overlay real-world birth data into their analyses, allowing WATO+ to automatically adjust hypothesis probabilities based on the ages of potential parents and mothers at the time of a child's birth.
- Customizable Advanced Controls: The tool offers granular control over generational age boundaries, built-in options to toggle pedigree collapse flexibility ("flex"), and quick import capabilities for Gedcom files to expedite complex tree creation.
To elevate your genetic genealogy skills and see these powerful techniques demonstrated through real-world case studies, view the full webinar recording today. Exploring the complete presentation will give you the exact steps needed to confidently evaluate candidate trees and solve long-standing family mysteries. Genealogists are also encouraged to open the webinar syllabus to explore exclusive additional resources, step-by-step guides, and practical workflows designed to enhance your research toolkit.
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Comments (93)
Presenter was a very good teacher
Brilliant (as any of Jonny's webinars are). I've used WATO in the past, but now, having seen the advantages of the the newer WATO plus, I'm going to have another go at trying to identify how my highest mystery match (62cM on my maternal side) is related to me. I know exactly how all her matches fit into her tiny tree so have suspected for many years that my 3ggf is the NPE for my match's 2ggf (or possibly vice versa) as they were both in exactly the same area in the early 1830s before my 3ggps were married.
I've used WATO several times, but haven't tried WATO+. Each time I take a webinar of Jonny's, I learn at least one new feature/technique that will be helpful for my next DNA project.
Incredible! I loved the product review at the beginning, it really helped my understanding!
It was super interesting!! I have used DNA Painter in my research but hearing the details of the scope of the site directly from its creator was very useful. I can't wait to dig in to the site even more!
Jonny is a great presenter full of good, useful information.
Jonny's webinars are excellent
Very complicated, I've never uploaded a tree to GEDCOM.