Question about GEDMatch Results

[Scampikins]

Hi! I have a question and I hope it makes sense! I have a person that is roughly my age that only matches me on GEDMatch. It's also a match for my mother an my great-aunt (my mother's aunt). The matches are:

Me-7.1 generations
My mom-7.4 generations
My great-aunt-6.7 generations

How can that be? Perhaps I don't understand the estimated generations as well as I thought I did. Or rather, I don't understand how I could be more related to this person than my mom.

Thanks!

[aeduna]

Hi! I have a question and I hope it makes sense! I have a person that is roughly my age that only matches me on GEDMatch. It's also a match for my mother an my great-aunt (my mother's aunt). The matches are:

Me-7.1 generations
My mom-7.4 generations
My great-aunt-6.7 generations

How can that be? Perhaps I don't understand the estimated generations as well as I thought I did. Or rather, I don't understand how I could be more related to this person than my mom.

Thanks!

The generational matches are an estimate based on statistical measurements of how well you match (approximately) as you can tell by the .4 part of the generation

It might be that there's a relationship on your dad's side as well with this person, but a long way back that's giving you a touch more matched DNA.

It might be that the algorithm for matching goes a bit funny on the precise match your mum has and throws back a slightly longer generational estimate that it should, or more likely, it does the opposite for you, shortening your estimate.

At that range, I wouldn't place too much faith in the precision of the estimate....

[JSW]

Generations

at that distance the error in the generations estimate is minus 2 and plus 7
so it is all within that range of 5 to 14 generations

You should use the gedmatch.com phasing tool and then use that data
for your matches.
see
http://ww2.gedmatch.com:8006/autosomal/phase1.php

[Scampikins]

Thank you!