Tuesday's Rant: Ancestry, Get a Chromosome Browser Already!

Come ON.

The potential for finding connections is tremendous due to their large database of DNA testers and trees, but for some reason the chromosome browser remains elusive.

Why?

Now, you can actually see how much total DNA in centimorgans across 1 or more segments you share with any cousin match:

What exactly am I supposed to do with this info?

But so what??  Shouldn't you see WHERE you match??



So, what can you do now on AncestryDNA?

You can search your cousin matches by last name and/or location:

Actually, this is a great function.  I wish it would allow custom locations for the search (you have to use whatever is in the preset locations, and not locations actually that have been added by users to their trees), but otherwise it is very handy.

Since 2014 Ancestry has provided "DNA Circles," which shows how many people have trees and shared DNA around certain of your own ancesters:

These are basically "confirmed" matches, although if everyone is claiming the wrong ancestor it can be wrong on that level, but this shows not only your cousin matches with ancestor hints, but also people that your cousins might match up with that you don't have on your cousin list directly.  SERIOUSLY, I could really use a chromosome browser with this one--so I could start my chromosome mapping in earnest.  Arghhhh.

Since 2015, Ancestry has provided "New Ancestor Discoveries," which shows people that are not on your tree but might be related since you match so many other people who do have them as ancestors:

I'm related to people who claim these people as ancestors.  Gee, I sure could use a chromosome browser to analyze these!

Last week "AncestryDNA’s Cutting-Edge Science Gets Even Sharper" apparently applied refinements to all the cousin matches, a move which I am agnostic about, but has upset a lot of people (most due to lost cousin matches, which at least can be downloaded for now).  I actually would prefer to "lose" matches instead of having too many false ones.


But you know what I really want?  A chromosome browser on Ancestry!

Why does this have to be like squeezing blood from a stone?  I know Ancestry has smart people doing really interesting stuff with the DNA, but why not a chromosome browser?

Yes, I'm on GEDmatch, which is insanely brilliant.
I've transferred my DNA to Family Tree DNA (which has a chromosome browser and a limited amount of trees).
I've transferred my DNA to DNA.LAND, which is limited (but interesting, and free).


But my genealogical tree is on Ancestry, and I have loads of cousin matches on Ancestry.



Ancestry, Get a Chromosome Browser Already!





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