Genealogy Fact or Fiction

[bodger]

With the human propensity for infidelity, and current DNA research showing that a high % of children born into families, do not match the named male on the birth cert.  i wonder how much of our research is just a question of past generations  saying,  " fill it in to keep the record straight", and that our certs. etc. reflect that. Maybe the childhood game of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, wasn't predicting who you would be, or marry , but an early form of choosing your parent !,. I wonder if future birth records will have a little box under the heading, DNA match Complete.  bodger

[RJ_Paton]

This is a topic which has been raised a number of times under slightly different questions and I don't think a clear answer was ever established.
But it raises a few questions in its own right
1. Why as a society are we prepared to believe the worst of our own ancestors ?
2. Why do we believe or accept statistics which often have no "real" meaning ?

Having studied statistics at college (admittedly a long time ago) I am very sceptical concerning the use of them and would question the terms of reference and sample size of any such project as :-

This well-known saying is part of a phrase attributed to Benjamin Disraeli and popularized in the U.S. by Mark Twain: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics. The semi-ironic statement refers to the persuasive power of numbers, and succinctly describes how even accurate statistics can be used to bolster an inaccurate argument through such methods as selectively choosing data.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_damned_lies,_and_statistics

[Bill749]

Add to that sperm donors, egg donors, surrogate mothers, ........

And of course this is not a recent phenomenom - I have found a number of cases in the past where a younger son/daughter in the family actually belongs to one of the older daughters and is technically a grandchild.  In some cases the child may never discover the truth and their descendants will have a missing generation in their tree!

Regards, Bill

[Bill749]

Having studied statistics at college (admittedly a long time ago) I am very sceptical concerning the use of them

I was once told by a rather eminent Professor that "Statistics should be used as a drunk uses a lamp-post - for support, and not for illumination"   

Regards, Bill

[Cathymjp]

Hi Bill,

A very wise man that Professor.

Cathy 

[RJ_Paton]

"Statistics should be used as a drunk uses a lamp-post - for support, and not for illumination"

very apt, but I've seen drunks use lamp posts for other purposes 

[Shropshire Lass]

It also depends on what we think of as "family".

What makes us who we are - our genes or our upbringing?  The ancestors of the people who bring us up have affected who they are and that is passed on to us by them.  That family is ours whether they are blood related or not.

I know someone who has brought up the child of his wife and another man, and he is far more the father to the child than the genetic father. 

If we are only interested in following up people related by blood, then you really have to trust that all your ancestors were monogamous.

Monica

[Cathymjp]

I think we are a mixture of both.  I have two adopted cousins, one of which has traced her birth family.  She is very like her step sisters/brothers - not only in looks but also personality.  Having said that she is also very like her adopted family and in my mind is certainly a good mixture of both families.  How we are brought up certainly has a bearing on our lives.  Sometimes you read, however, that people feel out of step with their families only to discover later that they were adopted - I know of a case like that also - and it can have devastating consequences when they find out late in life.

Cathy 

[Simon G.]

A wise man once said that you can use statistics to prove anything...14% of people know that!