Y-DNA 37 marker results back.. is this common?

[Douglas]

Just got my Y-DNA 37 marker test results back, and the results only show one 12 marker match (and with a different surname). Haplogroup G2A.

I guess I assumed that most people find more matches than this. Is this common, i.e., to find only one match at 12, and none at 25 or 37?

Obviously, I am very new to this...

Thanks,


Doug

[cjm95]

I don't know how common it is, but I have only 2 matches at 12 markers with different surnames as well. No matches at 25 and 37. I had hoped for more matches. I guess it is a waiting game now.

[rucksack]

Also, if you're new, you may not be aware that you have to select the 25 or 37 marker matches in your user preferences tab - be sure to save them, and have it set to compare against the entire database.

[ragnar]

G2a should have more matches than that. What are your marker values? Have you uploaded your markers to YSearch?

[rivergirl]

I have 1 relative who is I AS generic, and has no matches at 12 markers, even after 3 years.
Another relative is R1b M222, quite a common group of people especially from Ireland. He has 2 12 marker matches and nothing else.
They have both tested to 67 markers, and yes we have the correct preferences set.
It tells me that none of our "yDNA relatives" of any surname have tested.

[gtc]

Just got my Y-DNA 37 marker test results back, and the results only show one 12 marker match (and with a different surname). Haplogroup G2A.

I guess I assumed that most people find more matches than this. Is this common, i.e., to find only one match at 12, and none at 25 or 37?

I am R1b and have 15 so-called "matches" at 12 markers, but none at 25 markers and higher. The so-called matches at 12 are false positives because FTDNA has still not implemented the promised "by end of 2009" SmartMatching filter on Y-DNA that would eliminate them.

[Frederator]

Alternative

Could always just set your preferences so that you are not notified of matches less than 25 markers.

In fact, seems like it'd be a criminal waste of bandwidth for FTDNA to program another utility, since it'd be esentially redundant anyway.

But good luck on the matches. Five years on and nothing stronger than the suggestion my Y line POSSIBLY came from Western Europe. But I could have just pointed to my sunblock's SPF to prove that. Eh.

[gtc]

Could always just set your preferences so that you are not notified of matches less than 25 markers.

I did that yonks ago. I have some rare allele values that I do not expect to match anybody outside of immediate family over 12 markers.

In fact, seems like it'd be a criminal waste of bandwidth for FTDNA to program another utility, since it'd be esentially redundant anyway.

Criminal?

It's simply a matter if filtering the output. It's in everybody's interest to do it because it eliminates a bunch of off-track queries; both to FTDNA and to the false matches involved.

But good luck on the matches. Five years on and nothing stronger than the suggestion my Y line POSSIBLY came from Western Europe. But I could have just pointed to my sunblock's SPF to prove that. Eh.

My L48 deep clade result to some extent confirms what paper genealogy has uncovered, and like many others I have been marking time ever since. However, I've grown interested in the anthropological possibilities, so I'm waiting for the "next big thing".

[smith1]

Just got my Y-DNA 37 marker test results back, and the results only show one 12 marker match (and with a different surname). Haplogroup G2A.

I guess I assumed that most people find more matches than this. Is this common, i.e., to find only one match at 12, and none at 25 or 37?

Obviously, I am very new to this...

Thanks,


Doug

I have 2 exact matches at 37 markers. I have 5 matches on 36 of 37 markers. But believe it or not, this has helped me very very little.

[dawer]

I have more than 600 matches at 12 markers and only 2 matches at 25 or above (at a genetic distance of 2). I've stopped looking at 12 marker matches and have set my preferences to ignore them. If you have only a few matches at 12 markers, you are not going to have lots of matches at 25 or above. Perhaps as the database grows -- at least that's what i'm hoping for mine as well.

I'm not an expert, but I've read in some posts that some people's opinion is that it could be to the origin coming from an isolated population group or one that just hasn't been tested yet.

[Ritch]

YDNA results

There are many different ways to look at having a small or large number of matches.

Lower levels do not mean squat for the most part. 12 marker matches will give you no discernible data at all. 25 marker matches might give some idea of nationality origins and loose ties at best. But it is usually best just to leave them off of your search if you are looking for direct matches. Personally, I have over a thousand matches at 12 marker. It is because the Haplogroup I is a young and small group so there are bound to be a large number of matches at a general level. At 25 markers, I have 1 match, and 2 matches at 1 gen and over 40 matches at 2 to 4 generation. Only the exact match is worth looking at, but even that is still not likely to be a recent relative (within 13 generations)...so if this person does not show up at 37 or 67 levels, then it is just a waste of time...


Look at level 37 marker closely. Even at this level anything over 2 generations difference is likely to be distant relative at best (not within 700 years). Out of thousand plus matches I had at lower levels only translates to 1 match at 1 gen difference, 2 matches at 2 gen difference, 9 matches at 3 gen difference, 19 matches at 4 gen difference... I checked them all out, but realistically there was only any promise with the closest 3 people to me... at this level I am matching up against other I1's instead of just I's, so it is obviously more helpful...

At the 67 marker is your best bet...I had one match at one generation difference, which was the same person I had at all the other levels...a fifth cousin.

My suggestion is to join specific groups that are studying your haplogroup and subhaplogroup. Get 67 marker test....have a deep clade test if warranted...then figure out which specific markers that you should test for your specific group...

I will be first to admit that I have been frustrated by the matching system...I am hoping that FTDNA is fixing their calculations this time around. It is about time they weighed results contingent on an individual's results instead as uniform as before...

[darroll]

My fifth cousin matched us from all of the lower markers.
We ended up with a 66/67 match.
We failed to match on locus 60. (we were one point off)

[gtc]

If you have only a few matches at 12 markers, you are not going to have lots of matches at 25 or above. Perhaps as the database grows -- at least that's what i'm hoping for mine as well.

I'm not an expert, but I've read in some posts that some people's opinion is that it could be [due] to the origin coming from an isolated population group or one that just hasn't been tested yet.

... or perhaps the particular Y-line is dying/daughtering out.

[mkdexter]

The biggest reason for a lack of matches is simply the database size is still small. There are more people testing but not always with FTDNA. Your best bet is to upload to ysearch.org

The other issue is most tested 12 markers, not as many 25, not as many as that 37 and even less, 67.