Bill, you are correct about the DNA, however may I please add a CAUTION in this testing. I assisted Dr. Foster on the Jefferson-Hemings DNA study and here is the REASON for the match. Dr Foster failed to tell Nature Journal, Monticello, the media and the public in general that he was testing a son of Eston Hemings whose family ALWAYS had claimed descent from "a Jefferson uncle", meaning Randolph, with the Jefferson DNA......thus it would almost be certain of a match...and there was...NO surprise. The test confirmed the Eston Hemings long time oral history of a match through Randolph. So, even with good DNA an accurate genealogical history is required. DNA does not confirm given names. Herb Barger www.tjheritage.org -----Original Message----- From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bill Davidson Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:55 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] DNA Testing Article with Questions... The male Y chromosome DNA test follows the single male "surname" line ( in my case, my Davidson father, my Davidson grandfather, my Davidson great-grandfather, etc.). As such, the test tells you NOTHING about any of the females in your line, nor anything about the males (with different surnames) that those females married (e.g, your mother's father does not affect the test results, no matter what his surname was). The DNA test cannot tell you who the "most recent common ancestor" was between you and another matching/nearly matching DNA donor; it can only tell you that you have very high "odds" (or not) of sharing such an ancestor with that other donor in some reasonable "genealogically significant" timeframe (like roughly 600-700 years ago or less). Despite the above "problems" with DNA, I would not take a million dollars for my test results. They prove (over 99% odds within 16 "generations back") that I share a common male Davidson ancestor with the group of Davidsons that was in Goochland Co., VA (in the 1740s), and hence, with the Davidsons who were in James City Co., VA by at least 1682. I had always suspected that I was probably connected to that Davidson family, but without DNA, I absolutely, positively could never have proven it (no matter how many trips I made to the Library of VA or to the applicable courthouses). There are many "success stories" like this in our Davidson/Davison/Davisson DNA testing project (ditto other surnames). DNA is just one more (very good) tool to help us with genealogy, so why not use it? I simply can't imagine anyone serious about researching a family not taking advantage of it....if they can find a living male with the correct surname from the family of interest....and if they can afford it. I sometimes think that some "genealogists" are simply afraid that the results will prove that much of what they have believed (and boldly stated) for the last 30 years is wrong....but the truth, however painful, is all any of us should really want. DNA is also great at proving to whom you are NOT related. It is great to eliminate the "wrong" families with the same surname, especially if the surname is fairly common. I know many people who were "positive" that they were part of family "A" (with DAR applications to prove it), only to learn via DNA that they are positively not a member of that family after all. In some cases, these folks matched some other donor in some other family with the same surname, but in other cases, these folks matched no one (so far, anyway). In some cases, a person has one or more matches, but the match is only to some OTHER surname. As DNA testing continues, it is becoming more obvious that adoptions and "affairs" were much more prevalent than most of us ever thought possible. I know that Ancestry.com joined with the DNA testing company Relative Genetics (I don't know "who bought whom"). I will just leave it at this....I highly recommend Family Tree DNA for DNA testing (and no, I do not receive any compensation of any kind for saying that). Bill Davidson To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html