Living DNA: Beyond Ethnicity Percentages
If your genealogical DNA research has focused primarily on AncestryDNA or FamilyTreeDNA, Living DNA may not yet be on your radar. It should be…
Latest Posts
X-DNA: The Overlooked Chromosome That Can Focus Your Search
Of the three types of genealogically useful DNA — autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial — X-DNA is the least understood and the most frequently overlooked…
Genetic Genealogy Databases, Law Enforcement, and Privacy
Few developments in recent years have raised more questions among genealogists than the growing use of consumer DNA databases by law enforcement…
Cincinnati, Ohio: German Heritage and Dillman History in the Queen City
Cincinnati, Ohio, is one of the great German-American cities of the United States — and for researchers tracing Dillman lines through Ohio and the surrounding states, it is a productive research stop…
GEDCOM: The Universal Language of Genealogy Data
If you’ve spent any time in genealogy software or online family tree platforms, you’ve almost certainly encountered the term GEDCOM. You may have clicked “Export (more…)
Y-DNA Testing: STRs, SNPs, Haplogroups, and the Big Y-700
Y-DNA testing is the most powerful tool available to genealogists for tracing the direct paternal line — the father’s father’s father’s line stretching back through history…
MyHeritage Upgrades Ethnicity Estimates: What’s New in v2.5
On February 2, 2025, MyHeritage released the most significant overhaul of its ethnicity analysis system since the platform launched DNA testing…
Coming Soon: New Articles for Genealogists
The Dillman Family Association (DFA) blog is about to get a lot busier. Over the next several weeks we are publishing a substantial series of (more…)
One Tree to Connect Them All: Why Serious Genealogists Should Give WikiTree a Serious Look
If you’ve spent years building your family tree — carefully citing sources, chasing down courthouse records, and untangling brick walls — you’ve probably heard of WikiTree…
Using AI to Plan a Multi-State Genealogy Road Trip
Planning a multi-state genealogy road trip is a logistical challenge — multiple archives, varying hours, competing priorities, and the constant uncertainty of what you’ll actually find when you get there…