Found 1st Cousin How to find my Father?

[BedfontLass]

I am a female. Just received my first really significant match after 5 years in my quest to find my biological father. This match, Joy has a relationship range of 1st Cousin - 2nd Cousin, 559 shared Cm,6.5% DNA shared, and 76cM longest block. As I have researched my mother's line very exhaustingly, none of Joy's surnames match with that of my mother's. I have made contact with Joy who has been most helpful in trying to find our common ancestor. Would I be correct in predicting my father to be either one of Joy's father's or mother's brothers?

[madman]

559cm would probably be a 2nd cousin

I am a female. Just received my first really significant match after 5 years in my quest to find my biological father. This match, Joy has a relationship range of 1st Cousin - 2nd Cousin, 559 shared Cm,6.5% DNA shared, and 76cM longest block. As I have researched my mother's line very exhaustingly, none of Joy's surnames match with that of my mother's. I have made contact with Joy who has been most helpful in trying to find our common ancestor. Would I be correct in predicting my father to be either one of Joy's father's or mother's brothers?

[prairielad]

See following chart for possible relationship ranges

https://thegeneticgenealogist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Relationship_Chart_FINAL_August_2017.jpg

[dna]

See following chart for possible relationship ranges

https://thegeneticgenealogist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Relationship_Chart_FINAL_August_2017.jpg

Explanations (including the above chart) can be found at https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_statistics

Mr. W

[Frank Kelch]

I'd guess that the match is a first cousin, once removed.

[prairielad]

If 1st Cousin once removed, Your father could be sibling to one of Joy's 4 Grandparents,

or

Your father is Joy's 1st cousin (One of your paternal Grandparents, sibling to one of Joy's Parent)

Do you share on X at all (7cm or Greater, I would say personally 10cM or greater)? Not matching will not mean anything, can only use X if matching.

If you have an acceptable sized match on X, in first scenario you can eliminate Joy's paternal Grandfather and your father as siblings, leaving your father to be a possible sibling to one of Joys other 3 Grandparents.

In second scenario, (If you are an X match), You can eliminate your paternal Grandfather, it will be your paternal Grandmother who may be a sibling to one of Joy's Parents.

1st cousin once removed is not the only possible relationship, but it is a place to start.

If there are Half siblings in Joys tree, this will also skew results. In this scenario, you could be a Half 1st Cousin. Your father would have to be a Half sibling to one of Joy's Parents.

Look at all the possible relationship categories (chart linked above)which fit your 559cm total shared DNA and see if any point to an answer based on Joy's tree.

[Fern]

An interactive version of the relationships chart can be found here: https://dnapainter.com/tools/sharedcm
So much easier to use than the static version .... and a huge thanks to Germanica for posting it in another thread on this forum

[loobster]

When FTDNA says Relationship Range 1st-2nd Cousin - that means the suggested or predicted relationship is 2nd Cousin - not First Cousin.


Note:
If Ancestry says 2nd-4th Cousin, on Ancestry the suggested relationship is Second Cousin.
If FTDNA says 2nd-4th Cousin, on FTDNA the suggested relationship is Third Cousin.

[Frank Kelch]

Interesting.

[Dabney Carr]

559 shared cM is too much to be a 2nd cousin. I agree with Prarielad, the relationship is either 1st cousins once removed or half first cousins.

[Dabney Carr]

Do you know who is your biological mother? Has she tested?

What about your match? Can she determine which side of her family you are on based on the matches "in common with" feature?

Likewise can you make any connection to matches in common with your match, Joy.


Are you about the same age as your match? This may help in helping to determine if you might be a 1st cousin to one of her parents (i.e. if you are quite a bit older than her), if she is a first cousin to one of your parents (she is quite a bit older than you), or if you are half 1st cousins (you are roughly the same age). Obviously this is in a general sense. For example, half siblings are sometimes born 15-20 years apart.

It is a good idea for anybody who is unsure of who their biological parents are to test at all three main Dna testing companies. Have you also tested at any of the other two major companies Ancestry or 23andme?