Mossie's Musings

In July 2025, AncestryDNA introduced a powerful new feature - Matches by Cluster - that helps us visualise how DNA matches relate both to the tester and to each other. Released as part of the Pro Tools suite and currently in Beta, this is an important step forward for family historians looking to organise and interpret their genetic matches. Clustering itself isn’t new in genetic genealogy. MyHeritage has offered AutoClusters since 2019. Third-party tools such as GeneticAffairs AutoClusters, DNA Painter’s Cluster Auto Painter (CAP), and GEDmatch Tier 1 Clustering have been available for years. The key difference is that clustering is now built directly into AncestryDNA, giving users of the world’s largest consumer DNA database the convenience of analysis without exporting data elsewhere. Understanding clustering and its benefits A cluster displays matches who share DNA with both the tester and each other - often pointing to a shared ancestral line. Instead of analysing matches one by o...

A logical way to work through my musings- Introduction DNA testing strategies for Australians   First look at AncestryDNA - A Practical Guide Your DNA - Another vital record How your DNA can help identify human remains and solve cold cases Module 1 - Introduction to AncestryDNA MODULE 1: Introduction - "4 types of DNA, 3 types of DNA tests"   MODULE 1: Working with AncestryDNA (Starting to solve your DNA dilemmas!)   MODULE 1: Let's talk tree terminology   MODULE 1: AncestryDNA: Shared Matches   Module 2 - Grouping your AncestryDNA matches MODULE 2 Preparation: Grouping your AncestryDNA matches   MODULE 2: Grouping your AncestryDNA matches - The Leeds Method and my "twisted" Leeds Method MODULE 2: Grouping your AncestryDNA matches - Dotting by generations and advanced dotting!   MODULE 2: Grouping activity and recapping you activities to date MODULE 2: Grouping activity solution MODULE 2: Using AncestryDNA Groups and Enhanced Shared Matching to So...

AncestryDNA has introduced several powerful new features in recent months. Subscribers now have access to 64 groups and 32 colours, while Pro Tools users benefit from  enhanced shared matches . On top of that, the  Genealogy Assistant Chrome extension  has made managing and analysing matches easier than ever. What Do These Changes Mean for Me? Here’s how these updates affect my day-to-day DNA work: I can now create more groups using a wider colour palette. Group displays have changed, showing group symbols inside coloured boxes. With  enhanced shared matches , I can see not only how much DNA a match shares with me, but also how much they share with each other. For example, Frank shares 824 cM with me and 51 cM with my match JBis. Matches under 20 cM will now appear on the Shared Matches page  if  they share at least 20 cM with the match I’m viewing. For example, James shares 50 cM with JBis and just 10 cM with me—but he still appears. Over the past couple o...