Re: Beginner Question-specific
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In reply to:
Re: Beginner Question-specific
Karen McPherson 1/15/08
Firstly, I am no expert but probably know more than you.
Y DNA tests are most useful if you can't trace back to the 1700s and there are several lines that can.If your sample matches one of theirs then you can hunt using the internet trying to link back to that beginning.
For instance, I help a Marsh researcher make a connection in a few hrs hunting.The end of his line was an unusual name like Rasmus.Since only one family used that name a wise researcher would look to connect with that family.The DNA sample excluded that family and pointed to my Marsh family.It was a perfect match with my Marsh tree!Which is very well documented in the 1700s and there was no possible connection to his dead end.There was only one likely 'hole' in the tree for a century.That was early 1700s birth with no death date but was believed by 'the community' he never lived to marry.Assuming he had to be the head of the line I searched for that person.I found a dead end of a line William Marsh Jr.With no birth date and in a location far from Bill's place of birth.His first son was born about 50 years after the presumed dead person was born.That line had the name Rasmus with no birth date but my reseracher's Rasmus was born about 10 years after the other Rasmus's parents were married.
All these connections would have been worthless except for the exact DNA match.
Your case is not like that.You do not have a goal to match to.Yours will be more like putting a message in a bottle and throwing out to sea.You have no idea who or where your connection might be.Even if you do get a match you may not know if it is a significant match.
The bottom line is, the test will not be able to solve any mysteries.At best, it may open new questions.However, your chances of going forward without DNA are probably less than 1%.I suspect the DNA results might increase your prospects of a break through in your lifetime by 10 times.The longer your results stay out there the better chances that something will turn up.
What do you have to lose?You might want to reduce your cost by just donating your DNA samples to SMGF.You can do that for free.I suspect that database will be monolythic, surviving for centuries.That is where I would throw my message in a bottle.Why throw it in a lake when you can throw it in the ocean for free?I would make sure your samples come from as unrelated persons as possible and still descend from your ancestor.If you do donate and it meets SMGF's minimum requirements, you will get a 'coupon'.That will give you a heavy discount to get your Y DNA tested a second time. You can get a good test for about $100 with the coupon.
I would try to get at least 3 samples to SMGF since that is free.I would favor end of the lines.Men with no children.For instance, on that same Marsh line, my closest male Marsh relitive is the only known Marsh in his line going back to the late 1700s.Our DNA connects to the main tree in the early 1700s.In the early 1800s the Marsh family scatteres all over the US and Canada and becomes impossible to trace back without family documentation.There were at least 20 John and William Marsh(s)born to that tree in the late 1700s.It is likely there has been a mutation since then.Without his donation we will never be sure about a close but not exact match.I am sure he will never donate.He was not interested in getting photos of his distant ancestors.