4th Cousin

[super8mm]

There is a gentleman that may be a 4th cousin to me.

would a Y-DNA 37 show a good match to see if we are related?

[MFWare]

Y-DNA is not very good for showing a family relationship within a genealogical time scale. Having a Y-DNA match means that your match and you share a common male ancestor on each of your all-male paternal lines. The credibility of your match would be enhanced by sharing a surname. However, a paper trail is required to support the assertion that the two of you share a relationship as close as fourth cousins.

Family Finder will be much better test for determining the closeness of your relationship. FF also does not require that the connection between you and your match to lie exclusively along your all-male paternal lines.

[super8mm]

Thanks MDWare, what I have done is taken the gentleman that is on my birth certificate and adoption papers and have been looking for a male from his family.

I have followed his family tree up and back down each generation looking for living males and this 4th cousin is the first i have found, and was thinking that being that close that a 37 markers test should only be a couple of mutations off?

[T E Peterman]

A couple of mutations off at 37 markers could indicate a common ancestor as recent as 1850, or as far back as 1000 AD.

I receommend that you both do at least y-67 & look for the closest match possible.

If you think he is as close as 4th cousin, augment this with Family Finder.

Timothy Peterman

[super8mm]

I willl give that a try Timothy, I only have 4 matches show up at 37 markes and can not even come close to finding a connection so I thought that a 4th cousin should show up by then or if not we are not even close, either way I get a answer of if I am on the right trail or not

[tomcat]

I willl give that a try Timothy, I only have 4 matches show up at 37 markes and can not even come close to finding a connection so I thought that a 4th cousin should show up by then or if not we are not even close, either way I get a answer of if I am on the right trail or not

You certainly have done your genealogical homework so you can regard your testing as a wager on the accuracy of your research. Match the testing to your level of confidence in that research not your hopes. FTDNA has a sale on till the end of the year so it is more affordable to go "all in."

(Hope you knock it out of the park!)

[super8mm]

Thanks tomcat, I have already found and proved my half sister which also gave me ame her full brother also.

If this one that may be a 4th cousin showed any thing close it would be a miracle.

[tomcat]

FTDNA sales prices to 12/31/2012:

New Kits Current Price SALE PRICE
Y-DNA 37 $169 $119
Y-DNA 67 $268 $199
mtDNAPlus $159 $139
mtFullSequence (FMS) $299 $199
SuperDNA (Y-DNA 67 and mtFullSequence) $548 $398
Family Finder $289 $199
Family Finder + mtDNAPlus $438 $318
Family Finder + mtFullSequence $559 $398
Family Finder + Y-DNA 37 $438 $318
Comprehensive (FF + FMS + Y-67) $837 $597

Upgrades Current Price SALE PRICE
Y-Refine 12-25 Marker $59 $35
Y-Refine 12-37 Marker $109 $69
Y-Refine 12-67 Marker $199 $148
Y-Refine 25-37 Marker $59 $35
Y-Refine 25-67 Marker $159 $114
Y-Refine 37-67 Marker $109 $79
Y-Refine 37-111 Marker $220 $188
Y-Refine 67-111 Marker $129 $109
mtHVR1toMega $269 $179
mtHVR2toMega $239 $179
mtFullSequence Add-on $289 $199

[super8mm]

Thanks again tomcat, I will try to call him again

[prairielad]

Just keep in mind also that if FF test does not show up as a match, it does not mean he will not be a cousin. It just means he may have inherited a different portion of your common ancestors DNA. May have to look for common links between your other matches that may link you 2 together and/or test other relatives that share the same ancestor and see if a match can be made to them

[thormalen]

Thanks MDWare, what I have done is taken the gentleman that is on my birth certificate and adoption papers and have been looking for a male from his family.

I have followed his family tree up and back down each generation looking for living males and this 4th cousin is the first i have found, and was thinking that being that close that a 37 markers test should only be a couple of mutations off?

Humm...I hate to tell you but the man on my adoption papers and birth certificate shown as my father is not my father. My birth mother for what ever reason gave them some very bad info. My 67/111 marker test along with the FF test proved that. good luck!

[super8mm]

That is why I was thinking the Y-DNA may be a bit better to see if we are close prairielad.

On my FF I see a lot of 2nd to 4th and 3rd to 5th that I dont find any thing close. I have done both family trees back to the late 1700's.

btw I am trying to track my way back to my clan in Scotland like my 3 closest Y-67 matchs do

[super8mm]

Humm...I hate to tell you but the man on my adoption papers and birth certificate shown as my father is not my father. My birth mother for what ever reason gave them some very bad info. My 67/111 marker test along with the FF test proved that. good luck!

I understand that but that is what I am trying to see if I can find someone close, even my Y-37 only shows I am close to 4 gentlemen so if this guy can show me some sort of match that would have to be fairly close.

my wife and her brother did the FF and they show up as 1/2 siblings but their matches are not nearly as close as mine and my 1/2 sister, go figure

[thormalen]

I understand that but that is what I am trying to see if I can find someone close, even my Y-37 only shows I am close to 4 gentlemen so if this guy can show me some sort of match that would have to be fairly close.

my wife and her brother did the FF and they show up as 1/2 siblings but their matches are not nearly as close as mine and my 1/2 sister, go figure

67 marker gives you a lot of info. 111 marker not so much and at this point it was a waste of $$ None of my 67 marker matches went with who my mother said my father was...I had many Scottish Grahams 67 matches and then I found a 2nd cousin Graham and it all fell into place. Patience is an important virtue!

[super8mm]

I am taking it one step at a time and one day at a time.

I do need to find out if drugs interfere with DNA testing, if I have to go with one person I have found that may be an issue "LOL"