If you have a mystery match

Learn how to set up your tree if you want to use WATO plus to help identify a mystery match

You can use WATO plus to explore how this match might connect to your existing family tree. This will work best if the family members who share DNA with the match are no more closely related to each other than first cousins.

Let's say I have a mystery match, Paul, with whom I share 100cM. My father shares 208cM with him and my father's first cousin shares 56cM (the more matches the better, but I'll keep it simple for this example)

Paul has a simple family tree but it doesn't include a maternal grandfather.

• I'd first use shared matches to narrow down which branch of my tree the match is likely to connect on
• Having done that, I'd then get my own GEDCOM file ready so I can import the relevant branch of my tree

I'm now ready to create a new tree and use WATO plus to explore how Paul might connect to my family.

The trail that will be created for hypotheses in this tree

Step 1. Set up the research question #

Screenshot of the research question form

In this form, I can select father from the parent dropdown. I don't know Paul's mother's name so I can just write Paul's mother and enter her birth year, 1948.

I can then specify that the DNA tester is Paul's mother's child and enter the name Paul.

Step 2: Input a family tree #

I can then input a family tree as per the instructions on the if you have an unknown parent page.