Just a few days ago, Ancestry launched Enhanced Shared Matches as part of their Pro Tools. Ancestry.com customers need to pay $10 per month for Pro Tools in addition to their regular subscription rate. In this post, I answer the question, “is it worth the extra cost?”
Enhanced Shared Matches provides additional information about the matches you have in common with another match. So, if you’re reviewing a DNA match and then click on the “Shared Matches” filter button, the Enhanced Shared Matches tool now shows how much DNA your matches share with your other matches, which can help you determine how you are potentially connected to a match. Enhanced Shared Matches is just one of the six features of Pro Tools.
I won’t bury the lead any more than I already have. Even if you don’t use the other five tools, Enhanced Shared Matches is worth the extra monthly fee if you rely heavily on shared or in common with matches (i.e., genetic networks) to identify previously unknown ancestors. However, the tool is missing an important detail about your shared DNA matches, but the information it does provide will help you break down brick walls much more quickly.
Permit me to elaborate on why you should subscribe to Ancestry’s Pro Tools for Enhanced Shared Matches.
#1 Identify Matches without a Family Tree
For matches without a family tree or a very small family tree, Enhanced Shared Matches can help you determine how the mystery match is related to you or the other matches. From my list of the matches, the image below shows one of my matches (Match 2), which has no family tree. However, one of the shared matches (Match 3) does have a family tree. Information from Enhanced Shared Matches now tells you that Match 3 is the daughter of Match 2.
#2 Visibility of Small DNA Matches
Now all shared matches are visible – even those below 20 cM. Previously, Ancestry only listed the shared matches possessing 20 cM or greater shared DNA with the viewed match. The 20 cM threshold was enacted because matches sharing less than 20 cM have a greater chance of being false matches, which means shared cM may be identical by state rather than identical by descent.[1]
Now with Enhanced Shared Matches, you can see all shared matches you and the viewed match have in common, which may help you identify other relevant matches so you can draw conclusions about the genetic network. I’ve previously written about the value of small DNA matches and have a companion YouTube Learning Module on the same topic.
#3 Narrow the Generational Focus for Tree Triangulation
One of the issues in assessing the members of a genetic network of shared matches is how they potentially relate to you or one another. Previously, Ancestry told you the shared cM, number of shared segments, and the possible cousin relationship between you and a match. Now, Ancestry provides the same information for the other shared matches in common with the viewed match. While you may not be able to determine the exact relationship as presented in #1 above, you will now have a better idea for which generation a match likely fits into your tree or the tree of the viewed match, i.e., tree triangulation.
For example, in the image below, you can see that Match 4 is more closely related to the viewed Match 2 because it has 14 shared cM with the test taker and 243 cM with the viewed Match 2. While Match 4 has a family tree, it only lists her parents. You must build out her tree to see how she connects into the family tree of Match 2. Because Ancestry suggests the relationship between Match 2 and Match 4 is 2nd cousin, you probably only need to construct their respective family trees to the second or third great grandparent level to find the connection.
What is Missing from Enhanced Shared Matches
Although Enhanced Shared Matches is a significant step in the right direction for those of us who rely on genetic networks to construct our family trees, the tool is missing one key piece of information. Whereas Ancestry SideViewTM technology tells the test taker which side of their family tree a match likely resides, it does not provide the same information for the viewed match and its corresponding shared match. In the above example figures, note that “Parent 1” or “Parent 2” is missing for Match 2 and the shared match (see the third column).
The omission of SideViewTM from Enhanced Shared Matching is likely because me knowing that the shared match (e.g., Match 3 or 4) is on Parent 1 or 2’s side of the viewed match (e.g., Match 2) doesn’t help me much if I can’t also determine what Parent 1 or 2 means for the viewed match. Perhaps in the future, when Ancestry can determine the paternal or maternal orientation rather than Parent 1 or 2 without the tester’s intervention, this information will be provided. In the interim, it would be helpful for Ancestry to provide the paternal or maternal information if the tester has assigned his or her matches as such.
Conclusion
If you understand and use genetic networks with your DNA matches and consistently spend several hours a month assessing your matches, then Ancestry’s Pro Tools is a good investment. This says nothing about the value of the other five tools included with Pro Tools. If you’re unsure, I recommend at least signing up for Pro Tools and use it for a month or two and make your own determination whether it is helpful with your research. As the product’s billing is currently offered, Ancestry permits you to cancel Pro Tools anytime.
Sources
[1] See https://isogg.org/wiki/Identical_by_state for more information.