I really don’t know much about the degree to which DNA tests can help solve a specific common relationship question. I am hoping I could get some guidance or at least find out what is feasible on a particular hypothesis about a deceased person. I’m a novice on all of this.
For two living distant cousins/persons of the same generation, is there a DNA test that is specific enough in what it measures that it could prove (with near if not explicit certainty) whether or not a deceased person from exactly five generations ago was in fact a relative of both persons? Here’s the situation:
I have long sought to find my Irish great-great-grandfather (i.e., five generations back). After years of traditional records searching for him, I recently identified a male (1800-1891) buried in Missouri for which I have some historical evidence it is likely him, but not convincingly so. By sheer dogged pursuit over the years (or luck), I came in contact with a woman out in California, of my generation, who is definitely a fifth generation descendant of this gentleman. If we both do a particular type of DNA test, is it possible for comparison of results to show common “markers”, or whatever, that state we definitely had a common ancestor exactly five generations ago? Here would be my direct ancestry trace to this gentleman, to be either proven or disproven by comparing the DNA of myself and the woman in CA:
Me (male) --> My Mother (female)--> My grandfather (male) --> My great-grandfather (male)--> Gentleman in question (male). The CA woman, from whom I learned of this gentleman, has an indisputable direct 5 generation trace back to him involving both male and female blood relatives.
Are there generational markers from some DNA test that can help prove or disprove the theory/hypothesis that we have a common ancestor specifically at this fifth generation level? If so, what comparative DNA test would we use to test the hypothesis that this gentleman was a great-great-grandfather to each of us? Also, would we need a lab to do the comparison and report their findings or is this just a matter of buying two “kits” somewhere and reading the directions?
Thanks for any help or guidance on this!
For two living distant cousins/persons of the same generation, is there a DNA test that is specific enough in what it measures that it could prove (with near if not explicit certainty) whether or not a deceased person from exactly five generations ago was in fact a relative of both persons? Here’s the situation:
I have long sought to find my Irish great-great-grandfather (i.e., five generations back). After years of traditional records searching for him, I recently identified a male (1800-1891) buried in Missouri for which I have some historical evidence it is likely him, but not convincingly so. By sheer dogged pursuit over the years (or luck), I came in contact with a woman out in California, of my generation, who is definitely a fifth generation descendant of this gentleman. If we both do a particular type of DNA test, is it possible for comparison of results to show common “markers”, or whatever, that state we definitely had a common ancestor exactly five generations ago? Here would be my direct ancestry trace to this gentleman, to be either proven or disproven by comparing the DNA of myself and the woman in CA:
Me (male) --> My Mother (female)--> My grandfather (male) --> My great-grandfather (male)--> Gentleman in question (male). The CA woman, from whom I learned of this gentleman, has an indisputable direct 5 generation trace back to him involving both male and female blood relatives.
Are there generational markers from some DNA test that can help prove or disprove the theory/hypothesis that we have a common ancestor specifically at this fifth generation level? If so, what comparative DNA test would we use to test the hypothesis that this gentleman was a great-great-grandfather to each of us? Also, would we need a lab to do the comparison and report their findings or is this just a matter of buying two “kits” somewhere and reading the directions?
Thanks for any help or guidance on this!
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