DNA testing query

[Nick Carver]

I have a specific query about DNA testing. I had a contact recently from a chap with the same surname whose ancestor went to the USA in the 1630s. In fact the ancestor was born in 1594. He came from the same district as my own family - it is not a common name, so there is a fair chance that there is a familial link somewhere along the line.

My question relates to the fact that if there is a familial link, it could be as much as 500 years ago and anything up to 15 or more generations apart, Is DNA testing able to show such a link? My main concern would be that over the course of 500 years, there is a very high chance that there is somebody else who has entered the family tree who might not share the same surname and thereby lead us to think there is a relationship where none exists.

Can anyone comment on this scenario?

Many thanks
Nick

[The Geneal Geologist]

Answer to your question is "Yes" if you are in any way related and if there has been genuine direct father to son genetic input along the whole line, i.e. no adoptions or illegitimacy.
If you don't have the paper trail, then Y-DNA is the only way to establish a possible familial connection, which can then encourage you to find this missing paper links.
As a Newbie to this subject, you can learn more here: http://www.isogg.org. It is an organisation specifically set up to deal with genetic genealogy. Check also family studies in case a group of your surname have already tested. I would recommend using the ISOGG forum for specific questions on the use of DNA in genealogy, since the experts are there to help answer any questions not already answered in the various in-depth presentations and FAQs.

Regards,
Mark
ISOGG Member

[Nick Carver]

Mark, I must thank you belatedly for your reply and the excellent link you provided. I must say it was a bit of a surprise to find out the answer as my intuitive response was that the opposited seemed inevitably true.

Anyone else with similar or related queries should check out ISOGG first. Very well written and easy for the layman to understand.