DNA. Is this possible to test out for mothers male ancestors?

[coombs]

Hi

Is it possible to compare to see if your DNA matches that of the living descendants of an ancestor whose line is not a direct one eg one of your mothers mothers mothers fathers sons line for instance instead of just the male descendants of the paternal line or the female descendants of the maternal line?

I have heard of recombinant DNA but would this be possible to use this eg to see if you have the DNA of say for example my mothers, mothers, mothers father say?? My gggran, who is my mums, mums, mums, mother was illegitimate and I am 99% sure the man her mum later married was the father as the babe was then baptised as his natural child, and they knew each other by the time they both relocated to London from Sussex in the spring of 1864 but do you think a DNA test will help confirm that as he is one of my fave ancestors?

If it is, I wouldnt mind maybe testing this out.

Ben

[PaulineJ]

You can only DNA-compare  the all female or all male lines, not mix&match...

Pauline

[Galium]

DNA testing looks at either the Y chromosome, or at mitochondrial DNA.

Only males have a Y chromosome, so it is only passed from father to son.

Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mothers to their children, but not from fathers, so only the female line can be traced this way.

[behindthefrogs]

Of course you can use the mitochondrial DNA of a son to trace the female line from his mother.

David