
That shared DNA means they also share an ancestor with you.

Remember, individuals who show up on your match page are there because they share DNA with you. The second point on your triangle is any other person on your match list. Just as the surveyor uses triangulation of multiple points to discover the contours of a landscape, a genetic genealogist can use the multiple points of her DNA to triangulate with others and obtain a clearer picture of her own ancestral lines. This is one of the greatest strengths of genetic genealogy-the ability to find records that were previously lost. The trick, of course, is to convert that system of dots into a network of information that you can use to discover your past. Contained in your very own DNA is a record of the places your ancestors lived, their families, and even their secrets. Think of your DNA as various points scattered across time and space, outlining the vast landscape of your heritage. Not only that, but these pieces of DNA also form a kind of map of your ancestors and your ancestry. They can identify you uniquely, apart from everyone else in the whole world. Now stop for just a second to appreciate the strength of your position on this triangle and the significance of those 800,000 pieces. Of your enormous DNA record, the testing companies evaluate about 800,000 pieces. What makes you the perfect starting point? Well, it’s your DNA of course-your autosomal DNA, the stuff that came half from mom and half from dad.

The first point is you (you’re already a third of the way there!).
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Let’s discuss each point in the DNA triangle and how to identify it. While the triangle used to play music and the triangle giving you trouble in math class are very different from the genetic genealogist’s triangle, there are some definite similarities among them: Without fail, every triangle has three sides, connected at three points.
