I'm finding DNA results are inconsistent. Do Autosomal DNA brands need standardizing for reporting results? [closed]

+9 votes
721 views

Why do my DNA results change when two people both tested from the same brand?

Without going into great detail, I want to pose a question to the group of experienced Wikiologists as well as upcoming ones.  I have tested my autosomal DNA on MyHeriatage, 23andme and FamilyTreeDNA.  All tests results came back the same, or are they?   I am trying to put my close matching people into my WikiTree as I can place them.  Lot’s of work with communication and finding a common ancestor when many only list mom and dad as private or maybe grandparents.  That’s why I took a DNA test..  To get (or find) answers for myself.  My parents were only children and did not test their DNA.  I have no Aunts or Uncles, and therefore no 1st cousins.  You see for me I need to get to GreatGrandparents to find 2nd cousins whom I may match.  I'm looking at smaller segments! DNA is essential for me getting a clue of who may fit into my tree easily vs a 5th or distant cousin that would most likely take years to find, and I could not do it alone I might add.

So here is my problem..

I took a test from the three brands listed above.  I downloaded my raw DNA from each and placed it on GEDMATCH.  Let’s say on 23andme I could not find a match, yet on Gedmatch with the same brand 23andme test that person #2 uploaded, we match..  What?  I can’t see them on 23andme, but they show up on GEDMATCH and over minimum segments of 7cM’s..   Same brand, and see one another on Gedmatch, but not 23andme?   I asked customer service what could be the cause and could they help?  The answer was very disconcerting.  They blamed it on different analysis between the way they test vs other company’s.  The same holds true for every brand.  If I put my results on Gedmatch from any brand I tested, the chromosome browsers within each brand very slightly with Gedmatch results.  I am looking for what may be smaller overlapping segments to provide me with clues, not more frustration.  These starting and ending overlaps are there or they are not!  

Click on example below!  I compared my sisters data from MyHeritage against all (vs my DNA (also from MyHeritage in the first two examples) of the four test examples) The first set of data is from MyHeritage, the other three are inside Gedmatch.

Example comparing Me to my sister (her data all from MyHeritage)

My problem is with math these DNA service providers are providing.   Raw data is raw data.   Numbers in, numbers out.  2+2=4  Not 4.02  not between 3.8 and 4.700001  it's 2+2=4.000000000!  If my data changes, then I cannot take results form one brand and compare it to another effiently.  Yes I can cite the brands where I tested and my results, and it can be replicated, but bad math, is bad math.   If I tell you the numbers are skewed, and you need to adjust for it, how can you trust it?

I think right now DNA sites are playing us for fools.  We are accepting of their false claims of “testing differently” because they are not standardized.  Why should we pay for more and more tests, if the standards change within brands?  Who agrees with me that the industry must standardize so all tests claiming to be Autosomal follow the same standard and as such the calculations remain the same?  Who amung us even know this was a problem?  I understand testing companies will not want you to take your data elsewhere, as they do not want to give up control (future $$$).  But whose data is it, and who paid for the test?  Did they do the test for free, and are entitled to the data? 

I feel we need to push back and force all DNA testing company’s who claim to do a test (an Autosomal test) be held to a standard for reporting that test.  Data pulled and uploaded to another company (and or a 3rd party app) should be consistent and yield exactly the same results..  If we cannot trust the results from the testing company, then the data should go into a bank where we can trust the analysis to be done the same way.  Now some people will be shocked at another company holding data.  Security risk!  Let’s not go there.  We can deal with the task of any data being stolen from us later (seems to be never ending).. It’s always something, let’s stick specifically with this subject.  Why should we continue to accept raw data to be reported differently within brands and apps?  How do we get autosomal DNA reporting standardized so no one else needs to test with three brands to see three different results, or lack of consistency within those results?

I hope this is an eye opener for everyone!

WikiTree profile: Kirt Fetterling
closed with the note: Old question
in Genealogy Help by Kirt Fetterling G2G6 Mach 1 (19.3k points)
closed by Darlene Athey-Hill
Interesting, I commented a few weeks ago about the company I used for DNA testing(CRI Genetics), and that I cannot get my raw data to upload to other websites.  They stated their testing was pretty much a secret process and didn't want to give out the raw data, so other companies would see how they test.  DNA companies use different "algorithms" to test.  All the companies need to use the same testing, so we don't have to pay 10 different companies to find good matches.  The only reason I took the test was to find good matches.  Wiki doesn't even accept CRI Genetics as an option to upload my test results!!  Frustrating!!!
I must admit I am a little surprised to have not heard back from the treehouse on this one.  I'm hoping you are all testing your own kits to see how correct I am.  How can you measure small overlapping segments when they begin and end on different places depending on what brand test you took.  It makes 3rd party tools like DNAPainter not worthless, but almost..  So why take your test results to another company for analysis when the company who did the extraction has a huge disclaimer?   Garbage in, Garbage out, regardless who does the math.
Attempting triangulation on small segments is something I did as a newbie. Eventually I learned it is usually a waste of time and I don't bother on anything less than 15 cM now. A single small segment can come from before the existence of paper records. Go back 150-200 years to ancestors living in small villages, and you will find a lot of intermarriage between the families, so it becomes impossible to know which lines that segment came from.  When you get some larger matches and import them into DNA Painter, it will show you that many of your single small segment matches are false positives.

It is important to remember that DNA results should never stand alone. Even if there are gaps in the paper trail, you still need corroborating evidence from other records that places the right people in the right place at the right time. So you need to be doing a lot of traditional genealogy, looking at records other than BDM records, and using the FAN approach (Friends, Associates, Neighbours). If you're doing that, you probably don't need to attempt triangulation with small segments anyway.
How many shared SNPs does Gedmatch report when comparing with your match who does not appear at 23andme? Also, when you run the comparison and look at the visual output, are there any red lines in the matching segment?

Barry,

I was looking for examples I could show all.  Alan Grimm does not appear on my matches of 23andme so I see nothing on him from my matches on 23andme.  Doug Grimm my 7C1R said his dad who legally had his name changed to Raymond is this person on 23andme and gedmatch.  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Grimm-885  I have asked Jon, Ray's son to add me to the trusted list.  I match all of the family's DNA but small amounts since this is their father.   

Comparing Kit JE7750193 (Kirt Fetterling) [23andMe] and JQ3534657 (Alan Grimm) [23andMe]

Segment threshold size will be adjusted dynamically between 200 and 400 SNPs
Minimum segment cM to be included in total = 4.0 cM
Mismatch-bunching Limit will be adjusted dynamically to 60 percent of the segment threshold size for any given segment.

 

Chr

B37 Start Pos'n

B37 End Pos'n

Centimorgans (cM)

SNPs

2

192,244,393

202,521,426

7.9

214


Largest segment = 7.9 cM

Total Half-Match segments (HIR) = 7.9 cM (0.219 Pct)

1 shared segments found for this comparison.

104475 SNPs used for this comparison.

54.282 Pct SNPs are full identical

Barry,  I was about to pull this question because it appears no one believes this to be a problem.  I feel like I'm either very stupid, or I'm dealing with "Flat Earthers" (and I don't like the thought of the former).  I suggest a new Paradime and some find that very unsetteling.   These start points and endpoints should not move, or if they do, not much at all.   How can it be that my 7th cousin sees me, but I cannot see my 6th on 23andme?  Gedmatch confirms we have over 7cM's and as such both cannot be correct.  MY FAMILY LINE IS PROVEN WITH BIGY700DNA.  THIS IS MY FAMILY LINE.  Yes six generations back tests the limits of Autosomal DNA, but the site I tested on should not block a valid match.  How many others out there are not seeing results on the very site they tested on?   Again, at best I can match 2nd cousins, and don't know who they are.  Like many I need smaller cM's to group on Chromosomes and start and end points to lead to clues.  I'm looking for common surnames or places in time?  These clues are critical to my being able to place someone in my tree.  Not showing a clear match is a huge and significant error!

Is it possible one of your kits was done on the v5 23andme kit and the other was on v4 or earlier? That’s a very low SNP overlap. 23andme requires 700 SNPs in addition to there being a 7 cM segment:

https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_match_thresholds#23andMe

So that explains why they aren’t showing you as a match

I will ask the Grimm's and get back to you shortly!  Doug confirms his fathers chip was before V5.  I'm asking Doug if he can show me his results since his is newer V5.

Barry,   This is just awful news..  I cannot see my 6C because of the V4 vs V5 chip mismatch at 23andme.  If your info is valid, (and it appears valid), I'm out of luck here.   Is there anything we can do to get the standards loosened up a bit on old vs new chip reporting.  This is just one example, I will look for another..

As it turns out  Doug (son) did the V5 chip with 23andme, but we cannot see eachother.  He put his data on Gedmatch and the largest cM is 6.0 so this too would be the reason he does not appear on 23andme in my matches.  So close and yet so far..  Ann Turner who posted below suggested on 23andme we send an invitation to one-another on 23andme.   Doug accepted and I can now compare his results to anybody there, but since his cM's are below 6cM, it shows not even a hint of a match.  I'm asking Doug to have his father invite me so I can test that.

  Largest segment = 6.6 cM

10 122,543,587 125,553,255 5.5 688
20 58,581,873 59,895,860 6.6 293


Total Half-Match segments (HIR) = 108.1 cM (3.013 Pct)

27 shared segments found for this comparison.

419756 SNPs used for this comparison.

70.152 Pct SNPs are full identical

No, we're not going to get companies to change their procedures with an email campaign or something. All of these companies want their users to have big match lists, if for no other reason than to seem competitive with the other companies. The only reason they put on these filters is because you still need some amount of quality control -- if most of the match lists comprised false matches, that would look bad on the company.

I propose to you instead to consider that they are right to do this -- that there is a high likelihood that the segment you identified is not a real inherited DNA segment passed down from your common ancestor. If you choose a *random* 7cM match or below, then there is already about a 50% chance of it being a false match. With only 214 SNP overlap, the likelihood goes *way* up. And knowing in advance that you are paper-trail cousins with the match does not change this likelihood. Heck, I know of false short segments with my own 2nd and 3rd cousins -- I know because neither of my parents shares those segments as well. It doesn't invalidate your paper records, i.e., you're still cousins with your match. If you get deep into chromosome mapping, you'll be happy if you've ruled out false segments -- they can lead you down a confusing rabbit hole of conflicting DNA results.

Thanks Barry,  Case closed!

Just hard to believe my 7C1R with 23andme V5 chip, and all this is a false positive match.  I have lots of good candidates on this profile page and none can be used with triangulation?  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Fitterling-48

Comparing Kit JE7750193 (Kirt Fetterling) [23andMe] and TR9798390 (Douglas Grimm) [23andMe]

Segment threshold size will be adjusted dynamically between 200 and 400 SNPs
Minimum segment cM to be included in total = 3.0 cM
Mismatch-bunching Limit will be adjusted dynamically to 60 percent of the segment threshold size for any given segment.

 

Chr B37 Start Pos'n B37 End Pos'n Centimorgans (cM) SNPs
1 9,922,245 11,655,069 3.3 354
1 99,787,682 103,706,560 3.5 602
1 180,532,526 183,793,323 4.2 561
1 190,896,859 194,824,593 3.1 502
2 85,141,365 88,390,232 3.2 341
3 19,023,891 21,509,150 3.7 395
4 153,100,692 154,867,947 3.4 352
6 3,958,780 5,321,266 3.6 291
7 149,197,534 151,517,482 5.3 522
8 50,288,912 53,846,128 3.6 464
10 122,543,587 125,553,255 5.5 701
11 18,730,072 19,838,349 3.4 237
14 31,493,263 32,977,664 3.6 240
14 55,236,970 57,318,956 3.4 395
14 88,306,419 90,307,471 3.9 398
14 100,781,172 101,657,671 3.3 251
16 66,920,949 73,095,335 3.2 642
18 61,647,895 63,543,554 3.3 312
18 72,057,442 73,039,795 3.3 245
19 8,412,081 10,137,663 5.2 304
20 13,247,799 15,621,006 3.2 413
20 58,581,873 59,765,678 6.0 345
21 36,853,517 38,116,272 3.2 237
22 18,444,570 19,600,574 3.3 215


Largest segment = 6.0 cM

Total Half-Match segments (HIR) = 90.4 cM (2.522 Pct)

24 shared segments found for this comparison.

480766 SNPs used for this comparison.

69.580 Pct SNPs are full identical

Most of our DNA is identical. Testing for genealogy involves only a small portion of the genome, where we differ from each other enough to be useful for genealogical purposes. Over time, as more information is gathered, scientists learn that some areas are more or less useful than previously thought. Pile up regions are identified, where people will get a lot of matches without being related in the last 7 generations. That is why chips differ over time, and testing companies differ in their choice of chips used. In addition, the algorithms vary. Ancestry uses an algorithm they have called Timber to strip out those matches in pile up regions that are highly likely to be useless for genealogical purposes. Another company may not strip those matches out. So the end result is variation in the smaller matches. Most of the time, trying to resolve 7.9 cM matches is a complete waste of time. Hence the reason why those experienced at using DNA for genealogy are not bothered by that variation.
When I compare on Gedmatch I see very little difference between the different Company matches.

A problem I did see was a kit would appear to be on the same segment in segment match but when run on one to one it did not match. I was told because each segment has two sides paternal and maternal you might match the segment but not the side.

DNA painter helps with that once you learn who is maternal or paternal amoung your matches.

Hope I have said that correctly. I am still learning.
I don’t know what “in segment match” is. Do you mean the one-to-many list? Those must always be tested one-on-one since, as you indicated, something on the list might not actually be a match, and so the one-to-one will reveal that.

5 Answers

+9 votes
 
Best answer

Kirt, a few more thoughts.  I am not the best person to explain some of these technical issues (and some people may disagree with what seems like a casual approach), but, hey, it's free advice!

There are several reasons that results differ between companies.  Different chips, different proprietary algorithms, and different policies.  Among the examples of different algorithms is Ancestry's Timber. (I know you didn't test on Ancestry.  This is just an example.) That is a process by which Ancestry removes certain results from peoples' tests because they think they're too likely to be segments of such ancient origin that they're not genealogically useful.  That is one reason that your daughter's matches on GEDmatch may look stronger than on Ancestry, and occasionally include more segments.  Among the examples of different policies:  FamilyTreeDNA includes even tiny segments in the total cM, so matches on FTDNA will appear stronger than on other sites.  Another example:  Ancestry reports matches down to 6 cM (last time I looked, but now you have to scroll all the way down one endless page to get there).  23andMe only reports your strongest matches.  I have 65,896 matches on Ancestry, but only 1,393 on 23andMe (yet 23andMe claims to have a large user group).

My advice is don't worry about start and stop positions, and don't worry about total cMs.  If you have decent shared segments with another person, they will be in there somewhere.  I looked at your GEDmatch results.  You seem to match yourself reasonably well!

Even though you don't have first cousins, as Leandra has pointed out, second cousins are good matches to have.  I see you also have siblings.  I have tested both my living siblings and they have matches that I don't have.  I think you have a lot of potential for being able to work with DNA. But as Leandra has also said, it takes hard work.  And I would add, money.  The best way to get someone to test is to pay for it.  (Don't tell your wife I said that. smiley )

by Living Kelts G2G6 Pilot (554k points)
selected by Kirt Fetterling

I find this on 23andme which documents expectations of finding matches.   Not exactly on this subject, but holding to what most of you are speaking about.

https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/212170958

+7 votes
Kirt, your question is very recent.  Many people who follow tags get notified once a day and don't even know about it yet.

However, I doubt you will get any answers you like.  Sorry if my first response seems flippant.  We live in the land of the free.  How do you imagine you can force different testing companies to standardize?  This is not a question of incompatible fire hydrants and hoses where homes burn down and people die.  This is a matter of hobby genealogy.

While I agree that DNA results would be easier to use if every company used the same test, that is just not going to happen.  GEDmatch appears to be doing its best to interpret results of all the various tests.

Meanwhile, I have really not had huge difficulty with inconsistency.  I have been doing chromosome mapping for two or three years, and although results may differ when I have a match on two or more different testing websites, they are not impossible to work with.

If you are frustrated by small matches that differ from site to site, then I encourage you to work with the bigger ones first, and it's possible the smaller ones will fall into place later. Regarding your match to your sister, the main differences appear to be that some segments are broken up in some analyses but not others.  Still not impossible to work with.
by Living Kelts G2G6 Pilot (554k points)
Kirt, I admit I skipped over your comment about not being able to see your match to your sister on 23andMe.  I have tested with them, but dislike their website and have never found it anywhere near as useful as Ancestry so am not very familiar with it.  I think it's possible that you need to send an invitation to your sister (through the website) to share her results.  Otherwise, I think that problem may be a fluke.

Yes, it's true that I have more matches than I can use, having tested around a dozen relatives along with myself.  Looking at your profile (briefly), I see that you have U.S.-born ancestors going out at least several generations, so theoretically you should have lots of matches.  It also looks to me like you have tested with several companies, but not Ancestry.  I have found Ancestry far more useful than the others, so if you are willing to spend a little more money, I think you might be more satisfied with your results.  (There was a recent G2G discussion about using AncestryDNA results without subscribing to the site.  Let me know if you want a link.  I also find subscribing worth the cost, but some people don't want to do it.)

Good luck!
I second Julie's suggestion to work with larger matches first. Go for the low hanging fruit. You will have a lot of matches at a distance and will not be able to work out your connection until you have established your closer relatives. That is a huge time waster and many people who are new to DNA genealogy fall into that trap.
My wife would kill me if I took another test, but the good news if the body wound up missing they have my DNA..  My daughter is on Ancestry, so I can use her results to find relations.  I have that work around.    As for the low hanging fruit, it's all gone..  Again no 1st cousins, so at best 2nd cousins are my matches, and that is small cM's I'm looking at.  Trust me I'm looking for the largest segments..
Do the Ancestry test, you will have matches that your daughter does not.  Also ask your sister to test there as well because she will have matches that you do not have.

I have discovered that the most important thing is to test as many earliest generation family members as possible at the biggest database companies at a minimum. That means two tests per important genealogical person at least, one at Ancestry and one at 23andMe, because these two do not accept uploads from other companies and they have the largest databases.
Having recently added a DNA tag, I enjoy reading recent questions and the excellent responses so many people contribute. Thanks to all participants.

Not long ago I asked a 'small segments' question in G2G (search '41') which I think relates to Kirt's, but he is looking for much finer detail. Can someone advise if the two questions are similar ?.

I solved the money problem, but not the testing comparison, by copying my Ancestry result across to other sites. This gave me a lot more matches, but it is hard to know how many have done the same as me, creating duplicates. You can't do this for Living, so I am considering testing with them. It seems I can copy my FF, Ancestry and potential Living result into GEDmatch, so how easy is it compare them and at layman level, will it help much ?.
+9 votes
How big are the matches that are appearing at Gedmatch but not on the testing company's site? If they're small, they are of no use to you yet, if ever, until you build a tree going back several generations. Many of those matches less than 15cM will be false positives, and the smaller they are, the more likely they are to be false. You will see discrepancies at that size, based on the markers tested by each company, and the algorithm used to analyse them.

There's no problem with having to go back to the great-grandparents generation to find matches, apart from there being less people to test, but even in large families there are some branches that haven't tested yet. Everybody shares DNA with their second cousin. When you're looking for people to test, second cousins are great because they will identify the paternal and maternal lines of your grandparents.
by Living Ford G2G6 Pilot (161k points)

I don't know my 2nd cousins because my parents were only children.  The missing gap in not have cousins made my family disconected from grandparents and their parents if they were alive.  

And yes the cM's are about 14-30 cM's but of course must be broken on the testing site or like you say a false positive.  That's my problem, and I guess my frustration..  I was hoping for plug and play, not plug and pray!  

#2 Like DNAPainter I''m painting lovely pictures, but they are worthless..  Oh they lead to lots of frustration and deadends.  My tree contains over 37000 people.  Many branches I have attached a relation who confirms the relationship is valid.  It's a whole lot of work, and having cM's overlap in the right places sometimes and not on others is very frustrating.  

If your second cousins test, you will find them. They will come up as large matches.

You're not alone in expecting plug and play, however, that isn't how it works. If you have a good paper trail and can build a tree for 4-6 generations then you will have a good foundation for working your matches. You may need to wait a while until the right relatives test. Meanwhile, work on the low hanging fruit while waiting for the sledge hammers to come along and knock down your brick wall. I've tested several relatives and I've been at it for a few years. I've broken down some brick walls I've been working at for 30+ years with traditional methods, but I also still have some brick walls and no obvious matches on some lines.

Do you know about shared matches? FTDNA calls it ICW. Not sure about 23 and Me because I haven't tested with them. When you work out your relationship to a match, check the shared matches - all the people who match both of you. They will provide hints as to how you may be related to the others. Often you will all have a common ancestor, but occasionally it's a herring of the red variety and you will be related on different lines. Beware though, with small matches (< 15 cM) this can be very misleading as many will be false positives. So once again, work with the larger matches.

Ancestry has a useful tool called ThruLines. MyHeritage has something similar called the Theory of Family Relativity. You need to attach your DNA result to you in your tree, and then the company will suggest how you may be related to some of your matches. It is only as good as the accuracy of the trees, but it has provided me with lots of good quality hints. On any site, having an accurate tree up there enables your matches to see how they may be related to you and hopefully, some will contact you. If you don't have a tree up there with your DNA attached, you are doing yourself a major disservice.

Ensure that you respond to all emails and work with these matches as much as you can. Some of those people will be excellent researchers and happy to look up info for you in their local area, or share what they have already found. They can find information on the other side of the world that you will never find. Even locally, they will find valuable information about informants or witnesses on BDM records that you would have no reason to look up. If possible, return the favour for them. These contacts are worth their weight in gold.
Kirt, cm segments in the 15-30 range are pretty low, and more often than not, likely to be false matches.

Do your parents have any 1st cousins? (children of your grandparent's siblings). If so, their children would be your 2nd cousins, and would have a much larger cm match (if any of them have tested)

Focus on the larger matches you may have
Sorry Dennis,  All my grandparents siblings either had children who did not have children, or just a few that did.  Of those that did have children, of course two 2nd cousins are on Ancestry and I can see those results with my daughters DNA on ancestry.  Another set of 2nd cousins are also known on ancestry and 23andme.   The easy stuff I have.  I have very few 2nd cousins.  I need to see 3rd cousins, so dealing with very small cM's.  Based on what 23andme put out in a paper, my chance of finding relations is estimated at 20% and that is pretty bad.   Thanks for your comments.
Julie,   Thanks for the comment.   Yes I have used the Therory of Relativity on MyHeritage and I know about ThruLines with ancestry.  The therory of relativity is nice.  Of course it relies on people not making their tree private, and for me needs to go out to GGGrandparents..  Some have submitted a more complete tree, and Yes, I was able to place them into my tree with the total cM's confirming our most recent ancestor.   And yes I have used the tools in common with, or not in common with to provide hints.  Again because of looking for 3rd-5th cousins and the small cM's, it is frustrating as I'll get!  

  Again, these are the easy ones with suggestions.   I am more interested in the brick walls.  Those with larger single segments that I just cannot place, and neither can they.   I guess I will just have to wait for a magic bullet..   Thanks again
3rd cousins will average about 74cm

see the chart in this article: https://thegeneticgenealogist.com/2017/08/26/august-2017-update-to-the-shared-cm-project/
Thanks Dennis,

Unfortunately, my 2nd or 3rd cousins seem to be once in a while 1 removed, but mostly twice removed.  Seems many of my aged folks did not test but their kids and grandkids are.   Makes it really hard again dealing with smaller segments.  I'm really trying not to run down the lower cM's but no one new is appearing or if someone new pops up it shows distant 4-5th cousins.  I'm not trying on those, as they can find me.  I did a lot of work here on wikitree, and things should be pretty easy for them if they know about WikiTree...  I tried to tell them when they see me to look on WikiTree.  That said, I'm about done here.   Thanks again for trying to help give me guidance.
+5 votes
If one of your issues is a GEDMatch match who tested at 23andMe but does not show up there as a match, it's quite possible that it's because of how 23andMe handles the match list.  23andMe shows you your top 2000 matches (less anyone who opts out of matching, so in reality you'll have fewer than 2000 on your list).  If someone matches you but does not make that cutoff, they're still a match.  You just can't see them.  If you and the match both load results to GEDMatch (which doesn't have that cutoff), you'll show up as a match on GEDMatch but not 23andMe.  So it's not that the testing companies are using bad math or being inconsistent.  It just has to do with how each system handles their data.
by Lisa Hazard G2G6 Pilot (265k points)
Just noticed that Julie already pretty much said this in her answer above... should have read all the way through before posting!
+7 votes
Regarding the differences you see with GEDmatch, try turning off hard breaks when you do the one-to-one comparison. GEDmatch puts a break in what would actually be a long continuous segment if there is a large distance between SNPs.

Regarding finding a 23andMe match at GEDmatch that doesn't show up at 23andMe, that can be because of the cap on the number of relatives displayed. You will see only your strongest matches.  Right now, for example, I only see new matches if they share 25 cM. If you know the person's email, you can go to Family&Friends / Your Connections / Invite to ask them to share directly.
by Ann Turner G2G6 Mach 1 (17.1k points)

Thanks for the invite suggestion..  I am waiting for Doug to accept, and hopefully others..   I'll also did try the GEDMATCH hard break removal, and the results are very much like on the MyHeritage site my sister and I tested on.  Thank you..
https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Fetterling-19-1
Here is the result sheet with my original tests.  Hard brake off ones in yellow next to the original ones.

I'd never heard of turning off hard breaks.  I see it now on the "GEDmatch One-to-one Autosomal DNA Comparison Entry Form," at the bottom.  What are the implications?  Do you think it is more accurate, or less?
Julie,   See my revised chart listed just above your post.  It seems to fit better, but not sure it's exactly right.   If we are seeking more inline with what the original test site outputs with their browser, then yes this is better in that the number of segments are the same and seem to be added without adding in the missing gap as additional matching.

I also tried on the son with the V5 chip who is also on 23andme.  He has all the matching listed above in like 20+ listings.   The hard break turned off did nothing for his data.  I thought it might make a few cM's over 7, but it did not.  It seems to be a very valid tool setting.

This is new to me also, and perhaps a new post should be started with this?
I always turn off hard breaks. In fact, it was a feature I begged for. They are basically artifacts of the SNP sampling density, but if there are decent segments on either side of the break, it makes biological sense to treat the region as a long continuous segment. As an example, I see 42 segments when comparing myself to myself, but the expected 22 segments if I turn off hard breaks.

Thanks!  I see that that also fixes my match to my mother. smiley

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