DNA Case Study: Finding an 1877 Birth Father with Genetic Affairs, BanyanDNA, and No Birth Record

Flora was born around 1877 to Martha Speaks, but no birth record named her father. Martha married George Nida, but no marriage record was found. Was George Flora’s father or stepfather? A well-verified tree could not answer the question—but DNA could. Flora’s great-granddaughter, Elizabeth, tested at Ancestry and FTDNA. Analysis of her matches using Genetic Affairs' AutoLineage clusters and reconstructed trees revealed connections to descendants of George Nida’s siblings and cousins. The only plausible explanation was that George was Flora’s biological father. To confirm this, BanyanDNA was used to compare two tree hypotheses—one with George as Flora’s father and one without. The analysis returned a 100% probability that George Nida was her biological father. This case highlights how DNA clustering, reconstructed trees, and probabilistic tools can help resolve paternity when no records survive.

Attendees would benefit from knowing how to work with DNA matches and interpret shared matches.