One More DNA Test & a Question It Won’t Answer

While AncestryDNA is running their $59 DNA testing kit sale (through “Cyber Monday” 27 November), I decided to purchase one more test for a relative by marriage whose family has not been tested before. I’m hoping it will help me on one great-great-grandfather whose paternal grandparents are reasonably known–it’s just which son is the direct line that’s the problem. The test won’t tell me which son, but it could confirm the grandparent relationship.

The other question a DNA test is not going to answer.

A great-grandmother of the testee was born to a man who had a relationship with his wife’s sister while he was married. He had children with the wife and with the sister during the same time frame (at least four with each). There’s plenty of paper evidence that the sister is the mother of great-grandmother. But DNA testing is not going to confirm which sister is the mother of which children.

Always good to know which questions a test could answer and which ones it probably will not.

And there is always the probability that the results locate additional relatives of which I was unaware. The testee has five ancestors who were 19th century immigrants from Europe. While their origins are known, it’s hoped that the test will locate additional relatives overseas.

 

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