Introduction
The member Distribution Map page allows you to analyze the location of the Earliest known direct maternal or paternal ancestors of your group members.
These locations are provided by the members themselves on the Genealogy Page of their Account Settings rather than determined by their DNA results. As it refers to the direct maternal and paternal ancestors, these locations apply to the group member’s mtDNA or Y-DNA test results, respectively. If a group member has not taken one of these tests and entered the corresponding location information, they will not appear on this map.
Filters
There are several filter options to highlight which subgroups or individuals you would like to appear on this map. You can learn more about the filter options and how to use them here.
There are four main types of filters you may find of use:
Type
This drop down menu allows you to switch between Y-DNA and mtDNA
Member Selection
You may specify which members of the project are displayed at any given time.
All Group Members
This option displays all group members who have a Y-DNA test if you have selected Y-DNA under Type, or who have an mtDNA test if you have selected mtDNA under Type. This can help you to see where all group members might be clustered. By doing so you can zoom in on a specific region to see if you find commonalities with surnames, dates or haplogroups in that area.
Subgroups
By selecting a particular subgroup, you may be able to draw inferences about the common maternal or paternal ancestral location of that group. This can give you hints of where to focus research or to make inferences about migrations or family connections. In addition, if you have an ungrouped member, you may be able to use this map to determine where they might fit in with the rest of the project.
Individual Project Members
Clicking the Show Match List Button will display a sidebar listing all group members of the subgroup and test type you have selected in the Subgroups drop-down list.
By selecting a specific group member, you can find detailed genealogical information they have provided. If the group member is ungrouped or new to the project, this map can provide a geographic basis of their connection to other project members.
Applications
By comparing haplogroups within the project, you may be able to make inferences about regional origins for their defining branches. It is dependent on the number of group members who have added their paternal or maternal MDKA information.
For Y-DNA, this tool become more useful with confirmed SNP testing, as it can also indicate a regional origin for a specific SNP. This means it may be as specific as a village, or as broad as a country or continent.
For U.S. test takers, it is not uncommon to see locations clustered along the east coast of the United States. Many Americans of European descent are able to trace their genealogy back to their first immigrant ancestors, but are unsure of where in the old world they may have emigrated from. This tool can help to make connections between those early immigrants as well as their connections to the old world.
Caveats
These are general ideas of how to utilize the Member Distribution Map, but depending on your own project needs or research styles, you may find others. One thing to keep in mind with any of the tools that rely on project members self-reported information is the human error factor. It is important to keep in mind that these locations are not generated by FamilyTreeDNA or determined by the genetic information. If you are in doubt about the accuracy of locations, names, or dates attached to any project member, it is always best to reach out to that group member directly for clarification.