Chromosome Mapping Example

  • See what a chromosome map looks like.
  • See where the chromosome mapping information comes from.
  • Learn how chromosome mapping by end location number can help you map out an ancestor.
  • See examples of chromosome tables and matching end location numbers.
  • Learn how to map a surname.

DNA Segment Match for James Welles bORN 1648

In the example shown above for surname Welles, matching cousin #1, a closer inspection will show:

 

Chromosome 11

 Start Location: 46117127

 End Location:  55878633

 Centimorgans: 1.28

 SNPs:  800

 

Ancestor of Cousin #1:

James Wells of Baltimore born 10/29/1648. This Wells family has become disconnected from their ancestors. The matching end location number shows that they are related to another Welles by DNA and Surname. This is a biological DNA match.

 

dna segment match for governor thomas welles born 1590

Matching End Location for surname Welles. Cousin match #2 on chromosome 11 matches for the same end location number as cousin #1.

Cousin match #2 on closer inspection matches as follows.

Chromosome 11

 Start Location 46718718

 End Location: 55878633

 Centimorgans: 1.24

 SNPs: 700

 

Ancestor of Cousin #2 is: Governor Thomas Welles born 1590. Governor Thomas Welles is a cousin and we have a shared or common ancestor. This means that the DNA segment found on chromosome 11 with the end location number 55878633 is the map for finding this Welles family. The common ancestor is the person who has passed down the DNA. The common ancestor I have with Governor Thomas Welles is Robert Welles Sr. born 11/06/1540. Robert Welles Sr. is my 12th GGF and he is also the common ancestor for my cousin whose ancestor is Governor Thomas Welles as he is Thomas’s Father. My most recent Welles ancestor is Robert Welles Sr.’s Daughter; Jane (Welles) Baldwin born 1572.

 

dna segment MATCH for ISAAC WELLES BORN 1598

Matching End Location for surname Welles. Cousin match #3 on chromosome 11 matches the same end location number as cousin number 1 and cousin number 2. Because there are a minimum of 3 matches for the end location number to the surname, this is a valid match and a valid map for this surname.

 

Cousin match #3 on closer inspection matches as follows.

 Chromosome 11

 Start Location 46718718

 End Location: 55878633

 Centimorgans: 1.24

 SNPs: 700

 

Ancestor of Cousin #3 is: Isaac Wells born 1598 at Welche’s Dam Cambridgeshire England.  Isaac also has a broken tree but is a biological relative and matches cousin number 2 exactly on the chromosome number, start location, end location, centimorgan length and SNPs. Isaac Wells was born 1598 and Governor Thomas Welles was born in 1590.  They are close enough in age to be brothers but could just as well be close cousins.  The ancestors of Governor Thomas Welles came from the Stourton area and descendants settled in Connecticut. Isaac Wells came from Welches Dam and his descendants settled in Maryland. James Wells also came from Maryland. All three Welles/Wells match for the same end location number on chromosome 11. In the next illustration, an alternate method for mapping out a surname by end location number is done by downloading matches to Excel 5 at a time.

Using EXCEL to Sort and Filter Matching End Location Numbers

Mapping out a surname by end location number is fairly simple.  Some people find it to be an enjoyable and very rewarding hobby.   To create a surname map, study the “How to do Chromosome Mapping” choices. Everyone learns at their own pace. Some people get it right away and others may take up to a year before it really clicks.

 

It took about a year to put this all together, researching the method before sharing it to make sure it really works. It works beyond my highest expectations. It has been well worth the time spent. The exciting part of doing this is that once you find a number pattern for a surname, you can map that name back as far as it goes or as far as records exist. To learn how to put together an Excel worksheet like the one above, please scroll up and click on the “How to do Chromosome Mapping” from the menu” and view the video.  When you download your matches into Excel, be sure to copy all your sets of matches (if you have that many) into one spreadsheet and save it in Excel by the surname you are researching. Remember when custom sorting to always sort by end location first, then by chromosome. It will make it easier to spot the pattern. Collaborating with others can help you and the person you are collaborating with.  It is also a great way to meet your new cousins.

Surname Welles above, also shows matches by end location number to surname Tudor, Pugh,  Ellis, Ellison,  Hooper, Croft, Wilson, Lovell, Jordan, Gunn, Kiger, Hudson and Lloyd. Wells or Wells has the most common ancestors and is the oldest found for this end location number so far.  It will be interesting to see how many matches inherit it and where it may end up for the oldest of matches. Indications appear to be pointing to a very old line from Wales. It may not be a coincidence that Welles sounds like Wales. It may very well have been a location name in antiquity.  If you were to draw a timeline of all the matches for this end location number in the database, you would find that Princess Margaret Tudor born 1498 and Cecily Willoughby Welles born 1429 are the oldest common ancestor found in the matches for this end location number. 

This may mean that Welles is actually a Tudor if you go back far enough because autosomally, Tudor is an ancestor of Welles or simply shares the same end location number and both are coming from the same ancestor. This might be a Tudor like Rhys ap Tudor or someone even older. As more people join our project, more answers can be found to intriguing questions like this.  To join us in this quest please scroll up to the top of this page and click on home to become a member and get database access, and be sure to join us for exciting conversations in our FB Group, also found at the top of this page by clicking on the link.

      

Mapping out a surname begins with a surname search in family finder (Autosomal DNA kit available from familytreedna.com) Search for a pattern of matching end location numbers on the chromosome table or downloaded EXCEL sheet.

Be sure the end location numbers really do match. Every number must be identical for a good match and you must have a minimum of 3 matches to an end location number for it to be valid. Two matches can be a PLACE HOLDER if you are certain you have found a line. You can also add to the database any matches you have to this surname and end location number so long as you have found an ancestor with this surname in your tree or your matches tree. You only need one in that case. You can match visually, by looking for matching end location numbers in the chromosome table shown above or you can download and custom sort for end location number and chromosome number using Excel shown in the example.

This search resulted in a pattern of matching end location numbers for surname Welles or Wells.

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In the example to the left three different people are able to connect the Welles or Wells in their family tree by mapping the surname to the end location number. This method helps to piece together ancestors and those ancestors relationships to cousins who share those ancestors. Do keep in mind these very important things.

 1.  An end location number can be mapped to more than one surname but you will only match to an end location number if you share an ancestor either by pedigree and end location number or biologically by end location number.

2. An end location number can have more than one surname attached to it. This is because surnames have not been around all that long. If you map an end location number back far enough, you may find other surnames share the number.  Those are biological matches.

Sometimes you may have several surnames matching by the same end location number. This may be because those ancestors came from the same place, share the same Haplogroup and are of the same ethnicity. 

 3. People who do not have well developed tree’s, going back only a few generations may think that this end location number is attributed to a more recent surname. If in doubt, always check the database and look for matches that show a common ancestor. Those matches carry more weight. Also note the cM and SNPs as they provide clues to the time period of the common ancestor. Notice in the data shown that the ancestors listed were born a specific time period and the common ancestor was born even earlier. The common ancestor who passed down the DNA segment is relative to the cM and SNP data shown.

Younger generations will carry the DNA of older generations. When you are mapping small DNA segments in the 1 cM (centimorgan) range, consider the common ancestor is probably going to be in a very ancient time range.

4.  End location numbers can be mapped to Haplogroup’s, which is very exciting. Several instances of this have been found already. Be sure to check out the surname-list link above to see which surnames have been mapped to a Haplogroup.  Be sure to join the database so you can see if a surname or end location number you are working on has already been mapped out. It will save you a lot of time and provide valuable information. Be sure to add your own findings to the database so that others can help you and you can help others map out a surname and end location number in more detail.