mtDNA matches on paternal lines

[Kmessecjones]

I just received my mtDNA results (my first test results), and I'm confused. I recognized two of my matches immediately as known relatives. However, neither is on my direct maternal line. One is my mother's cousin -- they share a grandmother through their fathers, who were half brothers. The other is my third cousin on my dad's side - we share great great grandparents on my father's side (i'm female, my cousin is male). According to everything I read, this is not possible. All matches should be only through my direct maternal line. Am I misunderstanding something here?

[loudam]

you could possibly share the same haplogroups, both my own and dads basic mt groups are the same T2, so if we belong to the same group we'd show up in each others list of matches, i'd presume anyway

[Parameswara]

According to everything I read, this is not possible. All matches should be only through my direct maternal line. Am I misunderstanding something here?

I think you misunderstood. The thing that is not possible is if you have different haplogroup with someone who share maternal line.

[Kmessecjones]

I am still confused. One of the matches I mentioned is on my FMS list, with a genetic distance of 2. The connection I know I have with her is that my mother's father's mother and her father's mother are the same. So is that mtDNA match coincidence, or does that mean we share another common ancestor through our mothers, in fairly recent history? I don't quite understand why she is showing as a close relative on my maternal line, when the relationship I know of is paternal for both of us. FTDNA's resources seem to indicate I should only see maternal matches at the FMS level of testing. Thank you for your help with this.

[The_Contemplator]

They are maternal matches. They have nothing to do with how they connect with you through the other branches of your family tree. You all have a distant maternal ancestor that probably lived hundreds (or more) of years in the past. Hard to say how distant that maternal ancestor is from.

[Kmessecjones]

Thank you for your help.

[Parameswara]

They are maternal matches. They have nothing to do with how they connect with you through the other branches of your family tree. You all have a distant maternal ancestor that probably lived hundreds (or more) of years in the past. Hard to say how distant that maternal ancestor is from.

Even the matches you get from FMS result with distance of 0, could shared common ancestor with you hundreds years ago, or just 50 years ago. So, in my opinion, distance of 2 is not as close as you think.

[The_Contemplator]

I didn't say it was close. Some people get a GD higher than zero with close relatives so I gave a vague amount of years since it isn't exact in either case.

[Parameswara]

I didn't say it was close. Some people get a GD higher than zero with close relatives so I gave a vague amount of years since it isn't exact in either case.

Sorry I quoted the wrong posting.