I have found the MRCA. Consequences ?

[math8642]

On Ancestry, I am matched with Jn, Hz, and Ls. I have found the MRCA between Jn and Hz. Is it likely to be the same MRCA for Ls and me ? Ls & Jn ?

What other advantages can I derive from knowing the MRCA between Jn & Hz ?

These are all on my UNKNOWN father's side, so obviously VERY important to me. I know all my Mother's relatives. NOT INTERESTED IN THEM.

Thanks.

[Dabney Carr]

The closer you are estimated as a relationship the more likely it is a common ancestor IMHO. I mean if you are estimated as like a 3rd cousin then that MCRA seems more plausibly closely related to you than if you were estimated as 5th - 8th cousins.

When you click on Ls's profile and then click on "Common Matches", do Jn and/or Hz show up as common matches? If so then you are all likely related. It may be possible that the match goes a generation or two higher than the MCRA of Jn and Hz, or maybe that MCRA is a direct ancestor of yours. It's kind of hard to say. Does Ls have a family tree to see a possible connection to the MCRA of Jn & Hz?

[formax]

"When you click on Ls's profile and then click on "Common Matches", do Jn and/or Hz show up as common matches?" YES

I've built "mirror" trees for all three and had to expand their poor original trees to get to the MRCA.

The MRCA is not really very useful in my opinion. He's the 7th great grandfather to Jn and Hz. Does that mean he is also my and Ls's 7th great grandfather ? If so, he's far too way back to provide any meaningful direction. Jn and Hz are 5th-8th cousins. Ls is a 2nd-4th. She is the one I want to get to.

I spent today trying to see where Ls and Jn might meet, but it's not easy with any search engine, e.g Findmypast, Familysearch or crappy Ancestry.

Really, I need great great grans at least to get anywhere forward.

I guess I'll just have to keep chipping away at Ls,

[keigh]

One thing to remember is that the amount of DNA you share with a person can come from more than one ancestor, and that the calling or labeling of a match as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th cousin, etc. doesn't take into account the number of steps removed you actually are from a person.

I have several matches that come in at a 4th cousin amount for shared DNA but are more like 6th cousins as we have several different ancestral lines that we share.