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You've got questions about discovering, preserving and celebrating your family history; our experts have the answers.
DNA Done Right A.Your situation is an ideal application of Y-DNA testing, especially since you've already developed a theory to test.
Y-chromosome tests come in a variety of "resolutions." Just as higher-resolution printers provide a clearer picture, higher-resolution tests provide greater accuracy. Resolution is measured in 'markers,' or locations
on the Y-chromosome. The more markers the test evaluates, the higher its resolution.
In your situation, a basic 10- to 15-marker test would probably be sufficient to determine whether you're related to your suspected cousin. That's because you're simply looking for a haplotype match, rather than trying to estimate the number of generations back to a common ancestor. (Haplotype is the term for a set of Y-DNA test results.) But I'd suggest that you opt for a mid-range test of 23 to 25 markers. This will reduce the possibility of a false-positive match. Although it's extremely rare for two unrelated men to match closely on even a low-resolution test, it can happen if your haplotype should prove to be a very common one. (Like surnames, some haplotypes are more common than others.) Given the personal importance of this test, I'd take the extra precaution.
To learn more about what genetic genealogy can do for your research, see the February 2005 Family Tree Magazine.
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak is co-author of Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree and webmaster of Genetealogy.com.
Pose your questions to our family history experts.
Q. I was adopted and I'm trying to prove my surname connection to a possible biological relative. I believe that I've found a male third cousin. Each of us is in a direct male line back to a common great-grandfather. Which Y-chromosome test(s) would be appropriate to prove the relationship?
—Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
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