atDNA different matches, siblings, parents,etc

[dbethards]

Am I to understand atDNA doesn't pick up EVERY ancestral line for each individual. Some lines are picked up by one sibling for example and not another, or even a parent, etc. This is simply the way atDNA works, therefore it is wise to test multiple family members to get an IMPROVED ancestral connection?

[emyr]

Am I to understand atDNA doesn't pick up EVERY ancestral line for each individual. Some lines are picked up by one sibling for example and not another, or even a parent, etc. This is simply the way atDNA works, therefore it is wise to test multiple family members to get an IMPROVED ancestral connection?

I have tested myself, three half siblings (all of us have the same mother), my dad, a paternal aunt, my maternal uncle, and my maternal grandmother. I have found that my uncle and one sibling may match people that myself and other siblings don't match. Or I have found that myself and one or more of my half siblings have matches in common that my maternal uncle doesn't share. I have one sibling that matches a known distant cousin to my maternal grandfather, while none of the rest of us match this known cousin.

I could give many examples from my results, but the point is that I have found it very beneficial to test multiple family members. I hope to test many more family members. My only limitations currently are my budget and their willingness to test.