mixed messages kit 320477

[DanBerk]

I am new to all of this. I was tested in the hopes of unravelling some of the mysteries of my paternal lineage. I did the y-111 test.

The results came back as undifferentiated R1. Then after two phone calls to FTDNA - I got two different messages. One saying Undifferentiated R1 was correct the other saying it was a mistake. Shortly ( a couple days) after the last call my Haplo group changed to R-M269. Today I look and it says I need pay $39 to to test if I'm R-M269. yet I am predicted to be that.

I have only 12 marker matches and 9 pages of them.

Question 1: does anyone ever get tested positive or is this all a game of prediction and presumtion? Predicted Haplogroups and presumed accuracy?

Thank you for any assistance and for patience. This has been a frustrating experience and so far this seems like an product that is not matured.

[Earl Davis]

Hi Dan.

You have purchased an STR test. Haplogroups are based on SNP tests. Often it is possible to predict a hapolgroup from the type of test you purchased if your STR results match well known patterns in your results. Even then it's just a guess. If you want to known your haplogroup for sure you need carry out SNP tests.

That said FTNDA used provide a free 'backbone' test if your STR results did not closely match any known pattern. Not sure of they still do.

For haplogroup testing the BigY test is an advanced and expensive test whilst the Geno2 test is a more introductory level test. The Y111 test is an advanced STR test but it is not a haplogroup test.

Earl.

[DanBerk]

Thank you for responding Earl. I am discouraged by my experience here.

I just read on a FTDNA post:

"A 12-marker match is generally inadequate for genealogy purposes"

All I have are 12 marker matches. None of them are surname matches. Is this the proverbial "brick wall"?

[jsarnacki]

All I have are 12 marker matches. None of them are surname matches. Is this the proverbial "brick wall"?

One question to ask is, are you sure your full 111 test is fully complete? If yes, and your only matches are at the 12 marker, then it is true they are not significant matches yet. It could be that they ONLY took the 12 marker test, in which case they would need to upgrade to see if they are a better match or now... OR... they truly only match at that level and therefore are very distant relatives that can't likely be traced. You need matches at a 37 or higher level to really determine if the person is a close match. I have 1 37level match at a genetic distance of 1, fortunately he and I both also had enough of a family tree to confirm that we do indeed come form the same patriarch, he is still a distant cousin. Either way, all is not lost, you just may need to be very patient for the results you are hoping for.

Anyway, if you truly have only 12 marker matches, you will have to sit back and wait for someone to test who matches at a higher level. Or... you can try to convince some of those 12 marker matches to upgrade their tests if they haven't done so already. Really, it wouldn't make much sense to do that unless you also share a surname and have reason to suspect they may be a closer match.

[MMaddi]

Thank you for responding Earl. I am discouraged by my experience here.

I just read on a FTDNA post:

"A 12-marker match is generally inadequate for genealogy purposes"

All I have are 12 marker matches. None of them are surname matches. Is this the proverbial "brick wall"?

No genetic genealogy company can guarantee you that you'll find a genealogically significant match to your results, whether you've tested just 12 markers or 111. In order for there to be a match at a reliable level (at least 37 markers, but 67 or 111 marker matches are better), someone who shares a common ancestor with you in the last few hundred years must also have tested and be in the database.

Don't be discouraged and give up so soon. One thing that genealogy teaches people is patience. Genetic genealogy has the same lesson, maybe more so, since the technology is new and the databases represent only a small percentage of the population. You may have to wait for months or years for a significant match to show up.

Since there are mysteries in your paternal lineage, one thing to do is start with what you know or suspect. If there's a surname you think is the true surname of your paternal line, search on genealogy forums for men who have researched the surname you're interested in. Then contact them and try to recruit them to test here. Then you can see if they match you and how closely. Try to find men with the surname of interest who had ancestors who lived in the same area where your paternal line ancestors lived. Using this approach, perhaps you can speed up finding a match who'll have the information you're looking for about your paternal lineage.

[grahcom]

Join some of the relevant projects and seek some advise from the admins of the projects they maybe able to assist you.