Genealogy question (DNA matching)

[braumeister]

Obscure issue:

I made a contact through the 23andme site with a person who shares enough DNA with me that they say it's a probably first cousin relationship.

But we tracked our backgrounds down and we are actually second cousins once removed (her mother is my second cousin).

I'm curious whether anyone knows if this is unusual (that so much DNA would be preserved in her).

 

[target2019]

I've read that when female passes on the recombined x, it is not an equal split as one would assume.

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

DNA is a funny thing. I have documented NA blood but not a drop shows up. My DM's cousin, however tests 1-7%. I don't know a lot about genetics, but mine seems to be just a mish mash of a bunch of different ethnicities while excluding several key ancestral countries (not the entire continents, however). Nothing was a surprise based on my ancestry findings.

 

[Just_Steve]

DNA is a funny thing. I have documented NA blood but not a drop shows up. My DM's cousin, however tests 1-7%. I don't know a lot about genetics, but mine seems to be just a mish mash of a bunch of different ethnicities while excluding several key ancestral countries (not the entire continents, however). Nothing was a surprise based on my ancestry findings.

Elizabeth? Elizabeth Warren, is that you?

 

[Sunset]

DNA is a funny thing. I have documented NA blood but not a drop shows up. My DM's cousin, however tests 1-7%. I don't know a lot about genetics, but mine seems to be just a mish mash of a bunch of different ethnicities while excluding several key ancestral countries (not the entire continents, however). Nothing was a surprise based on my ancestry findings.

Your post made me think (and it doesn't apply to you).

That family history records and stories can have lies embedded within them, for many reasons.

The most serious of course (IMHO) is to hide the true birth father from public knowledge and even the husband's knowledge, obviously it's even possible the birth mother doesn't know if a baby is from the "fling" or the husband.

I'm thinking I need to get DNA testing done to answer my "ancestor" and maybe relative questions.

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

Elizabeth? Elizabeth Warren, is that you?

Nope, not me! My 6th great-grandfather was Cherokee, but after dilution, very few in my generation would register much if any NA blood. Like many in the US, I am 100% mutt.

 

[NeverBored]

The Shared cM Project -- 2nd Cousin once removed, average is 122cM, range is from 14 – 353cM. Huge ranges. It's possible you are related through more than one line. (I have a few of those.)

 

[Kwirk]

A child almost certainly has about 50% of each parent's DNA. Beyond that things get less certain. Siblings typically have 50% of each other's DNA but it can theoretically vary from 0% to 100%, though the extremes are extremely unlikely (if not from the same egg). When you get to cousins, etc, things can be much more iffy. The relationships suggested by 23andme are just statistical guesses.


ETA: This response is based on total DNA, not just the subset measured by 23andme. The subset will have more variability.

 

[braumeister]

That family history records and stories can have lies embedded within them, for many reasons.

Not just lies, but mistakes and omissions are rampant. I've done a fair amount of research into my ancestry over the years, mostly through ancestry.com, and I've been amazed at the sloppiness in old census records. I got the feeling that some 19th century census enumerators were barely literate, and spelled names phonetically. Also, when the family being counted spoke another language at home (very common then), the poor census taker really had to guess at spellings. The same thing applies to many church records and even government documents. You have to apply quite a bit of interpretation and cross-checking to get at the truth.

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

Your post made me think (and it doesn't apply to you).

That family history records and stories can have lies embedded within them, for many reasons.

The most serious of course (IMHO) is to hide the true birth father from public knowledge and even the husband's knowledge, obviously it's even possible the birth mother doesn't know if a baby is from the "fling" or the husband.

I'm thinking I need to get DNA testing done to answer my "ancestor" and maybe relative questions.

It can lead to interesting (and surprising) discoveries. My rather ahem Archie Bunker type relatives would not be happy with some of them. Thankfully, my parents were the ones that got away, so I just find what I see in Ancestry interesting and sometimes amusing.

 

[braumeister]

The Shared cM Project -- 2nd Cousin once removed, average is 122cM, range is from 14 – 353cM. Huge ranges. It's possible you are related through more than one line. (I have a few of those.)

Even though we know for a fact we are 2nd cousins once removed, we share over 600 cM, which seems like a lot.

 

[Kwirk]

Even though we know for a fact we are 2nd cousins once removed, we share over 600 cM, which seems like a lot.

Have you looked at the shared sections? Are they a few long sections or many shorter sections? Do you have other family members' chromosomes to look at?

 

[braumeister]

Have you looked at the shared sections? Are they a few long sections or many shorter sections? Do you have other family members' chromosomes to look at?

No, not yet. Anything in particular I should expect to see?

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

Not just lies, but mistakes and omissions are rampant. I've done a fair amount of research into my ancestry over the years, mostly through ancestry.com, and I've been amazed at the sloppiness in old census records. I got the feeling that some 19th century census enumerators were barely literate, and spelled names phonetically. Also, when the family being counted spoke another language at home (very common then), the poor census taker really had to guess at spellings. The same thing applies to many church records and even government documents. You have to apply quite a bit of interpretation and cross-checking to get at the truth.

One can also hook onto a tree with inaccurate information pretty easily. I did that abt 5 years ago and had to go back and recreate a line from almost scratch (2nd great GF back). At lot of the immigration records are hard to unearth as record keeping wasn't all that great. Making the leap across the pond can take a lot of work.

 

[Turbo29]

Your post made me think (and it doesn't apply to you).

That family history records and stories can have lies embedded within them, for many reasons.

The most serious of course (IMHO) is to hide the true birth father from public knowledge and even the husband's knowledge, obviously it's even possible the birth mother doesn't know if a baby is from the "fling" or the husband.

I'm thinking I need to get DNA testing done to answer my "ancestor" and maybe relative questions.

I was adopted and actually know my real birth name. On Ancestry I got several 2nd-3rd cousin hits, many with the same last name as my birth name. It was fairly trivial to determine who my birth father was but my likely half-brothers by the same father wanted nothing to do with the idea.

Interestingly 2nd and 3rd cousins contacted me and right out said, "Oh yeah, I know who your father was." Some actually sent me pictures (and there is a resemblance).

I just have to assume that in large families (I mean cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.) there is a lot of whispering and gossip so that many not in the immediate family all know what happened many years ago. Whereas it was kept a secret from my half-brothers (probably to keep it a secret from their mother).

Kind of disappointed as they live ~300 mi away but I didn't press the matter. Best not to destroy any one's illusions if they don't wish them destroyed.

 

[Kwirk]

Elizabeth? Elizabeth Warren, is that you?

I expect that you know it but Warren, despite lack of tribal affiliation, does have actual NA DNA:


https://www.factcheck.org/2018/10/the-facts-on-elizabeth-warrens-dna-test/

 

[Kwirk]

No, not yet. Anything in particular I should expect to see?

My (very) amateur expectation would be that you may find one or more large chunks in common.

 

[NeverBored]

600 is over the limit for 2c1r according to Blaine's chart, but you might be related also through another line. I am related to several people through both of my parents' lines. I just looked at my Family Tree DNA account, and it shows ten people with whom I share DNA on both my parents' lines. (FTDNA sorts those out for you based on segments in common.)

I share 611 cM with a 2nd cousin, my dad's known first cousin. That's over the threshold on the chart for a 2nd cousin, but I have found segments of DNA in common with her that I share with known maternal relatives, most likely on her mother's side.

DNA is fascinating.

 

[Sunset]

I was adopted and actually know my real birth name. On Ancestry I got several 2nd-3rd cousin hits, many with the same last name as my birth name. It was fairly trivial to determine who my birth father was but my likely half-brothers by the same father wanted nothing to do with the idea.

Interestingly 2nd and 3rd cousins contacted me and right out said, "Oh yeah, I know who your father was." Some actually sent me pictures (and there is a resemblance).

I just have to assume that in large families (I mean cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.) there is a lot of whispering and gossip so that many not in the immediate family all know what happened many years ago. Whereas it was kept a secret from my half-brothers (probably to keep it a secret from their mother).

Kind of disappointed as they live ~300 mi away but I didn't press the matter. Best not to destroy any one's illusions if they don't wish them destroyed.

Interesting.

I also know my birth name, and with 5 days of searching via Google, I tracked down my birth mother and phoned her.
So much for gov't secrecy.

She refused to tell me the birth father name, which is very disappointing to me.

My birth name is unusual, but she claimed there was no special reason for giving me that name. The name has not lead to any significant findings by itself.
I admit I have not joined ancestry.com as I don't understand how it would help find actual relatives vs folks with the same last name.

 

[CardsFan]

I have no desire to do this. Don't know, don't care. There are family stories that I am sure are inaccurate. Doesn't matter.

I have a cousin who is really into developing an ancestry tree, but I have no interest in my DNA being in the public domain.

Not a tin foil hat fear, just no need to do it.

 

[Turbo29]

Interesting.

I admit I have not joined ancestry.com as I don't understand how it would help find actual relatives vs folks with the same last name.

A lot of my genetic relatives had family trees posted. You have to be a paying member to see them. The trees were very interesting and I did a lot of screenshots. (I joined for six months and then cancelled.) I am still registered there (non-paying) and still get notifications from relatives from time to time.

 

[Gumby]

I have no desire to do this. Don't know, don't care. There are family stories that I am sure are inaccurate. Doesn't matter.

I have a cousin who is really into developing an ancestry tree, but I have no interest in my DNA being in the public domain.

Not a tin foil hat fear, just no need to do it.

"I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be."

Abraham Lincoln

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Between Sister and DW, I have access to Tribalpages, 23&me, ancestry, myheritage, and Geni. We can trace back to the 1200's. I was never interested in genealogy before but it is fascinating. Made contact with my Uncle's Grandson. How kewl!

 

[CardsFan]

"I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be."

Abraham Lincoln

Great quote.

 

[Nemo2]

"I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be."

Abraham Lincoln

They used to say that an Australian 'aristocrat' was someone who could trace his lineage back to his father.