What Is Overlap?
Overlap is when a DNA relative is sorted into more than one Color Cluster. In the example below, Daisy sorts into both the Blue and Orange Clusters.
Daisy is showing overlap by being in both the Blue and Orange Clusters.
Three types of overlap have been noticed: extreme overlap, isolated overlap, and heavy overlap.
What Is Extreme Overlap?
Extreme Overlap is where a lot of overlap occurs, often over many columns of color. Extreme overlap likely represents endogamy or pedigree collapse where ancestors are closely related. Unfortunately, at this time there is no known method for “separating” cousins with this kind of overlap.
All Color Clusters are overlapping except for the Yellow Cluster.
What Is Isolated Overlap?
Isolated Overlap is where a “clean sort” has been created and most of the people are in only one Color Cluster. However, one or a few cousins might end up in two or more clusters. These people are likely related to the test taker in more than one way. I will talk about these cases in my next post, but it is best to remove these individuals from our chart so they don’t cause us confusion.
Only Daisy is in more than one Color Cluster, both Blue and Orange.
What Is Heavy Overlap?
Heavy Overlap is where two or more Color Clusters have a lot of cousin overlap. These individuals are likely all related to one branch of the test taker’s family, but are sharing different pieces of DNA.
The Blue, Yellow, and Purple Clusters show heavy overlap & should be “collapsed” or combined.
The Orange and Green Clusters show heavy overlap & should be “collapsed” or combined.
In this case, it is usually best to “collapse” or combine these columns into one column to make the sort easier to understand.
The Blue, Yellow, and Purple Clusters have been combined into the Blue Cluster
The Orange and Green Clusters have been combined into the Orange Cluster
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