Using DNA as a clue to family history

piegrande

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May 16, 2010
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I first had my DNA tested with Family Tree DNA, quite a few years ago. All I could get then was y-marker, which is only passed on from father to son, and it was pretty worthless, except to show that maybe I really had Irish ancestors. Oh, also I have a distant kinfolk in Iceland. Later, they came out with X chromosome testing, I think it's called MTDNA or something like that.


Some of my family alas is racist, which makes things complicated because I am married to a Mexican woman and live in Mexico. :laughing7: So, I decided to find out roughly who and where was my oldest female ancestor. I am not without sin, and still have negative thoughts about racist remarks a few of my family have made directed towards my wife.


So, I hoped my earliest female ancestor was Zulu, as it was for Oprah. I wanted to give them the good news. :hello2: And, I do not care at all.


Rats! Oldest was white in Eastern Europe, perhaps 50,000 years ago.


In all the years trying to make sense out of y-markers and MTDNA, I did not find a single ancestor or relative.


Then, they came out with Family Matching. I can't say it works perfectly, but it is at least capable of doing good. I found a small number of 5th cousins and closer, including known closer cousins. I did find out there are no paternity errors among my closely related people.


My father told us that in the 1800's two brothers of my great-grandfather came to Brooklyn, then went on to Australia. Using Family matching, I found a 5th or 6th cousin in Australia. At the time my mind was messed up due to a bad case of SIBO, and that e-mail was submerged in a file of nearly 30,000 e-mails, but some day I will find it. I hope. I know an ancestor of that man who came walking by one day and married into the family, even if I don't know who he is. I want to share that with them, since they have no clue at all.


There have been some serious criminals finally identified by such Family Matching, though most seem to be using 23andme. My niece in the USA had hers tested by 23... Last week, she got a hit from a first cousin with a totally unknown name. Need I say it caused some consternation?


My sister and I spent a lot of time trying to sort out which of us 7 siblings might have had a hidden child. My niece finally sent a note to the link.


She got an angry response from her own sister, telling her that DNA was her disabled son, and to leave her alone. In other words, my niece's nephew, not first cousin. And, the name was totally false.


The only thing we can figure out is my niece's own sister put her son's DNA in there, in hopes of finding out if her ex-husband has had other children since the divorce. Sigh!


I do highly recommend Family Matching, whether via FTDNA or 23... It works. When all I had was y-marker, I put my own DNA twice into a DNA calculator. With identical numbers, all it would say was I may be related to myself within a small number of generations. Not usable.


I think I am going to do 23... when I return to the States later this fall. Their database, or potential kinfolk is different.


I did find a couple kin folk, because I got a hit on a very good genealogist, who found a common ancestor, the grandmother of my maternal grandfather. She gave me the information.
 

cb73

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If you're interested in finding relatives, plus your ethnic makeup, Ancestry is probably the best. I have DNA matches with over 57,000 people so far and have made a lot of progress with my family tree.
 

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piegrande

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May 16, 2010
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57,000 is sure a lot. But, can you tell me how you set up the filters? On FTDNA, you have to tell it how far apart you want to be reported. If you open it up, hypothetically, you could get the entire planet. :D Of course, I am just joking.

But, one cannot expect to ever trace anyone as a real kinfolk beyond a certain kinship. For example, and only as an example, maybe 5th cousin or similar level.

What level do you think can actually use to locate identifiable kin?
 

smokeythecat

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I did ancestry and another one. I forgot now. Our family tree doesn't fork.:laughing7:
 

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