Family Tree Chart

Today, family tree charts are extensively used in genealogy to show the connections between individuals of the same family. In the United Kingdom, family tree charts (also referred to as pedigree charts) were used to control the use of coats of arm. The right to bear arms could be passed down the family line, and thus one way to satisfy this right was by proving one’s lineage.

Most family tree charts provide enough space to accommodate the family history through four or five generations. Because of the extent of branching that occurs over five generations on a family tree chart, however, it is difficult to visually display a longer lineage. In such cases, an Ahnentafel, also referred to as the Sosa-Stradonitz system, can be used to represent a family history more compactly.

The Sosa-Stradonitz system transforms a family tree chart into a rank order by using binary code. The individual of interest is indicated by 1, the individual’s father as 2, and the individual’s mother as 3. Given these scores, an individual’s father’s score is twice his score, and an individual’s mother is one more than twice his score. As a result, each ancestor will have a unique score, where odd numbers represent women and even numbers represent men.

Given the scores of the person of interest and an ancestor listed on the Ahnentafel, it is a simple matter to determine how they are related. However, one of the shortcomings of using the Sosa-Stradonitz system in lieu of a family tree chart is that it does not directly accommodate siblings, and consequently aunts and uncles. In order to determine the relation of these people relative to the person of interest would be to compare the Ahnentafel of both people.

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