Curt,
You'll better understand what the numbering is doing if you were to see it on a pedigree chart. The Ahnentafel report is a narrative version of this chart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_numbering_systems (see image)
There is another numbering system that is perhaps easier to follow, but it is not currently available to FTM users, and it is not described on the Wikipedia page in the above link. It assigns unique numbers to ancestral lines and reuses those numbers moving backward. This makes it easier to keep track of the lines through successive generations. In this other system, two numbers are paired (A.B) to represent an ancestor. The first number (A) is the ancestral line's unique number; the second number (B) is the ancestral generation relative to the generation (1) of the proband (i.e., the subject of the pedigree, the root descendant). In other words, you're generation 1, your parents are 2, grandparents 3, etc.
1 vs. 1.1 = proband
2 vs. 1.2 = father ♂
3 vs. 2.2 = mother ♀
4 vs. 1.3 = father's father ♂♂
5 vs. 3.3 = father's mother ♂♀
6 vs. 2.3 = mother's father ♀♂
7 vs. 4.3 = mother's mother ♀♀
8 vs. 1.4 = father's father's father ♂♂♂
9 vs. 5.4 = father's father's mother ♂♂♀
10 vs. 3.4 = father's mother's father ♂♀♂
11 vs. 7.4 = father's mother's mother ♂♀♀
12 vs. 2.4 = mother's father's father ♀♂♂
13 vs. 6.4 = mother's father's mother ♀♂♀
14 vs. 4.4 = mother's mother's father ♀♀♂
15 vs. 8.4 = mother's mother's mother ♀♀♀
If you had this information in a table that you could sort, and if you were to sort ascending on ancestral line then generation, then it would be ordered like this:
1.1 vs. 1 = proband
1.2 vs. 2 = father ♂
1.3 vs. 4 = father's father ♂♂
1.4 vs. 8 = father's father's father ♂♂♂
2.2 vs. 3 = mother ♀
2.3 vs. 6 = mother's father ♀♂
2.4 vs. 12 = mother's father's father ♀♂♂
3.3 vs. 5 = father's mother ♂♀
3.4 vs. 10 = father's mother's father ♂♀♂
4.3 vs. 7 = mother's mother ♀♀
4.4 vs. 14 = mother's mother's father ♀♀♂
5.4 vs. 9 = father's father's mother ♂♂♀
6.4 vs. 13 = mother's father's mother ♀♂♀
7.4 vs. 11 = father's mother's mother ♂♀♀
8.4 vs. 15 = mother's mother's mother ♀♀♀
Do you find that alternate numbering scheme easier to follow? I think it is, and I think it should be an option available in FTM when creating ancestor reports and charts. Charts and reports often go hand in hand as companion (complimentary) materials. (Currently FTM only numbers ancestors on the Ahnentafel report, not in any charts.)
More about this other numbering system available at the link below:
http://www.ancestrallines.net/
You'll better understand what the numbering is doing if you were to see it on a pedigree chart. The Ahnentafel report is a narrative version of this chart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_numbering_systems (see image)
There is another numbering system that is perhaps easier to follow, but it is not currently available to FTM users, and it is not described on the Wikipedia page in the above link. It assigns unique numbers to ancestral lines and reuses those numbers moving backward. This makes it easier to keep track of the lines through successive generations. In this other system, two numbers are paired (A.B) to represent an ancestor. The first number (A) is the ancestral line's unique number; the second number (B) is the ancestral generation relative to the generation (1) of the proband (i.e., the subject of the pedigree, the root descendant). In other words, you're generation 1, your parents are 2, grandparents 3, etc.
1 vs. 1.1 = proband
2 vs. 1.2 = father ♂
3 vs. 2.2 = mother ♀
4 vs. 1.3 = father's father ♂♂
5 vs. 3.3 = father's mother ♂♀
6 vs. 2.3 = mother's father ♀♂
7 vs. 4.3 = mother's mother ♀♀
8 vs. 1.4 = father's father's father ♂♂♂
9 vs. 5.4 = father's father's mother ♂♂♀
10 vs. 3.4 = father's mother's father ♂♀♂
11 vs. 7.4 = father's mother's mother ♂♀♀
12 vs. 2.4 = mother's father's father ♀♂♂
13 vs. 6.4 = mother's father's mother ♀♂♀
14 vs. 4.4 = mother's mother's father ♀♀♂
15 vs. 8.4 = mother's mother's mother ♀♀♀
If you had this information in a table that you could sort, and if you were to sort ascending on ancestral line then generation, then it would be ordered like this:
1.1 vs. 1 = proband
1.2 vs. 2 = father ♂
1.3 vs. 4 = father's father ♂♂
1.4 vs. 8 = father's father's father ♂♂♂
2.2 vs. 3 = mother ♀
2.3 vs. 6 = mother's father ♀♂
2.4 vs. 12 = mother's father's father ♀♂♂
3.3 vs. 5 = father's mother ♂♀
3.4 vs. 10 = father's mother's father ♂♀♂
4.3 vs. 7 = mother's mother ♀♀
4.4 vs. 14 = mother's mother's father ♀♀♂
5.4 vs. 9 = father's father's mother ♂♂♀
6.4 vs. 13 = mother's father's mother ♀♂♀
7.4 vs. 11 = father's mother's mother ♂♀♀
8.4 vs. 15 = mother's mother's mother ♀♀♀
Do you find that alternate numbering scheme easier to follow? I think it is, and I think it should be an option available in FTM when creating ancestor reports and charts. Charts and reports often go hand in hand as companion (complimentary) materials. (Currently FTM only numbers ancestors on the Ahnentafel report, not in any charts.)
More about this other numbering system available at the link below:
http://www.ancestrallines.net/