Theory of Family Relativity™ Update

We have great news! We’ve just refreshed the data for Theory of Family Relativity, adding millions of new theories that can help explain your relationship to your DNA Matches.

Theory of Family Relativity is a powerful feature for genetic genealogy that helps to streamline your research by explaining how you and your DNA Matches might be related. It utilizes MyHeritage’s huge database of 46 million family trees and 19.8 billion historical records to offer plausible theories about how you are related to your DNA Matches.

Since our last update, the MyHeritage DNA database has grown, and with it the number of family tree profiles and historical records have increased. This has led to substantial growth in the overall number of theories.

Still haven’t taken a DNA test? Now is the perfect time to order a MyHeritage DNA kit!

Theory of Family Relativity by the numbers

Thanks to this update:

• The total number of theories has grown by 22%, to 166,168,357.
• The number of DNA Matches that include a theory has grown to 116,865,576, representing a 22% increase.
• The total number of paths has increased by 21%, to 1,204,841,247.
• The number of DNA kits with at least one theory has grown by 7%, to 2,528,969.

Viewing new theories

If new theories were found, you’ll see a purple banner at the top of your DNA Matches page. Click “View theories” to view all matches that have a theory.

Watch the video below to learn how to use Theory of Family Relativity:

When a DNA Match has a theory, this is indicated on the DNA Match card. You can also filter your DNA Matches to only show those with a Theory of Family Relativity. Click the “Filters” icon on the top right corner of the page. Then, click “All tree details” on the far left, and select “Has Theory of Family Relativity.” This will display all DNA Matches that have a theory. A “NEW” badge will appear next to the theory on the DNA Match card for 30 days.

Click “View theory” to see the detailed path showing how the algorithm arrived at the proposed relationship. In certain cases, multiple possible paths may exist for a given theory. If more than one path exists, you can toggle between them on the page. Having more than one path for a theory strengthens its reliability.

It’s important to review the relationship path(s) for each theory, and decide for yourself if the theory is reasonable. If it appears to be correct, you can confirm the theory using the button that appears directly above the chart showing the relationship path. If the theory seems incorrect, you can reject it.

Tips to increase your chances of receiving theories

To boost your chances of receiving a theory, continue growing your family tree. The more details you add, especially about your great-grandparents and other distant ancestors, the more discoveries you’ll receive. These could lead the algorithm to uncover new theories about your relationships to your DNA Matches. You can also encourage your relatives to grow their family trees and take a DNA test, to increase your chances of making new discoveries.

All users who have new theories will receive an email from MyHeritage letting them know there’s a new theory to review. Theory of Family Relativity is a premium feature on MyHeritage. To view a full theory, a site subscription (Premium, PremiumPlus, or Complete) is required. Users who upload their DNA data to MyHeritage can pay a one-time unlock fee to access advanced DNA features.

Haven’t taken a MyHeritage DNA test yet? Join in the fun and order your DNA kit today! 

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Source: My Heritage