DFA Most Wanted: Family Group 35
Three probable brothers, one Civil War regiment, and no DNA test to confirm they were even related. Could you be connected?
What Your Ethnicity Percentages Actually Mean (And What They Don’t)
Ethnicity estimates look precise and authoritative. They are neither. Understanding what the percentages actually represent — and what they cannot tell you about your documented ancestors — is one of the most useful things a genealogical DNA tester can learn.
MacFamilyTree 11: The Best Genealogy Software You’ve Never Heard Of (If You’re on Windows)
MacFamilyTree 11 is the most visually sophisticated genealogy desktop application available — and runs exclusively on Mac. With Apple’s App of the Year recognition, 27 years of development, and features like 3D globe visualization and heat-map statistics, it is the best-kept secret in genealogy software for Mac users.
DFA Most Wanted: Family Group 112
The Philadelphia Dillmanns, settled by the mid-1840s from Germany — no immigration record, no DNA testing yet. Could you be connected?
DNA Clustering and the Leeds Method: Making Sense of Your Match List
DNA clustering — and the Leeds Method at its core — transforms an overwhelming list of DNA matches into organized groups of people who likely share the same ancestral line. It works on every major platform, requires no segment data, and is one of the most practical techniques in genetic genealogy.
Why Sources Matter: An Introduction to Evidence Explained
Elizabeth Shown Mills’ Evidence Explained set the standard for genealogical citation — and for the standards this site tries to hold its own research to.
What’s in a Name: Naming Patterns in the Dillman Family Groups
The 160 family groups in the DFA database reveal consistent naming patterns across two centuries of Dillman migration — from the dominance of Johann in German records to the predictable anglicization that turned Heinrich into Henry and Georg into George at the American border.
FamilyTreeDNA: The Specialist’s Choice for Serious Genealogical DNA Research
FamilyTreeDNA is the oldest consumer DNA testing company still operating under original ownership, and the only major platform offering all three test types: autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial. For Dillman researchers, its Y-DNA project infrastructure is unmatched anywhere else.
Gramps: The Free, Open-Source Desktop Genealogy Software Worth Taking Seriously
Gramps is free, open-source genealogy software with a 25-year track record that rivals paid desktop alternatives in analytical depth and data control. For researchers who value data ownership and serious source citation, it is worth the learning curve.
Chromosome Browsers: Seeing Your DNA in a New Dimension
A chromosome browser transforms a list of DNA matches into a visual map of shared segments across all 22 chromosomes. Understanding how to read that map — and how to use segment triangulation to confirm common ancestry — is one of the most powerful skills in genetic genealogy.