How to Use WATO at DNAPainter
DNAPainter is a popular online tool for genetic genealogy that allows users to visualize and analyze their DNA test results. One of the most powerful features of DNAPainter is the What Are the Odds (WATO) tool, which can be used to estimate the likelihood of a particular genetic relationship between two individuals based on their shared DNA.
In this blog post, we'll provide a step-by-step guide on how to use WATO at DNAPainter.
Step 1: Gather DNA Information
Before you can use WATO, you'll need to gather some basic information about your DNA matches. Specifically, you'll need to know the amount of shared centimorgans (cMs) between you and each match. You can usually find this information in the DNA testing company's website or on a third-party tool like GEDmatch. Look for DNA matches with a known connection to each other.
Step 2: Open WATO
To open WATO at DNAPainter, you'll need to have an account set up. Once you're logged in, navigate to the "Tools" tab at the top of the screen and click on "What Are The Odds" on the page, I prefer v2.
Step 3: Enter Information
Once you've opened WATO, you'll see a page where you can enter information about your DNA matches. Start by entering two or more DNA matches who you know how they are connected to each other. For example, if two DNA matches are first cousins to each other and they both match you, enter both matches, their parents and the grandparents that they share with each other.
Put in your research question, ie Where do I fit on this chart? and your birth year.
Your WATO page will now look something like this:
An example WATO page
Step 4: Interpret Results
After you've entered all the necessary information, click on the "Suggest Hypothesis" button at the top of the page. WATO will then generate a probability chart that shows the likelihood of different possible relationships based on the amount of shared DNA.
You will get a page that looks something like this:
WATO example with Hypothesis generated
At the bottom of the page will be a detailed explanation with a table which shows the probabilities of each relationship and how many matches you used as well as the average of the cM shared.
WATO chart example
Step 5: Refine Analysis
While the WATO results can provide a good starting point for analyzing your DNA matches, it's important to remember that they are just estimates based on statistical models. The actual relationship between you and your matches may be different depending on a number of factors, including the size and location of shared DNA segments, the age of the individuals involved, and more.
Continue to add more DNA matches, and create new WATO pages for other clusters of matches.
Remember that you will fit into each of those WATO pages, and the probabilities do not take this into account. The highest score is not necessarily the correct one.
To refine your analysis, you may want to consider additional factors such as genealogy research, the presence of other known relatives, and more detailed DNA testing (such as haplogroup analysis or X-chromosome inheritance).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the What Are the Odds (WATO) tool at DNAPainter can be a powerful tool for genetic genealogy research. By entering the amount of shared cMs and other basic information about your DNA matches, you can get a quick estimate of the likelihood of different possible relationships. However, it's important to keep in mind that WATO results are just estimates and that additional analysis and research may be necessary to confirm or refine your findings.
