DNA
I understand that Family Search does not deal with DNA. However, I have a family match that indicates she is a DNA match. The match is from the 1500's. Can anyone give me and idea how this happened? Thank you in advance for any help. Mary Jo
Answers
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If this is from a normal autosomal DNA test, the chances of finding a match with a common ancestor that far back are almost nil. The furthest back you can usually go is around the mid 1700s.
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Terminology around here is pretty important because FamilySearch is such a large and complex website. What do you mean by a "family match"? Who is matching? What is there in this "match" that suggests a "DNA match"? Is there just a notation on the record that states "DNA match"? If so that might just have been another user noting that she had a mitochondrial DNA match to that person. Such a notation is pretty useless and confusing for anyone else who comes to that profile in this universal tree since the likelihood that another user will have any provable DNA connection, as @Graham Buckell said, is basically zero.
What is the profile ID for that person in the 1500s?
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Thank you, Gordon, for taking the time to answer me. Yes, I find it strange also.
The individual is
Mary Macdonald Countess of Ross, GRC5-DX9, 1318-1370.
I got a notice from Family Search that I had a "match" for someone. I looked at the page and went on down to the family that I know which is through my Harvell line. My great-grandfather was John Joseph Harvell. So, when I was looking at the supposed connections. Mary Macdonald, actually has a DNA symbol next to her name. I agree that I don't see how DNA came be traced back to the 1300's. From my relative, John Joseph Harvell, I have the next 3 ancestors in my family tree already.
I realize these "famous relatives" are probably just for fun and they are interesting to look at and investigate as far as you can. I have just never seen a DNA symbol attached to one. I am very curious how this might have happened.
I would like your opinion and, again, I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me about it.
Mary Jo
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The DNA symbol on the profile GRC5-DX9 is a profile photo someone has added, just as a contributor has added a tartan image. It's possible to add a profile photo without leaving a contributor name.
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Occasionally you can figure out a reason for these non-photo profile photos such as when they are a flag, a landscape, or a house. But this one seems totally random. I figured there would be a series of these down the pedigree showing direct descent, kind of like the users who label a person "my g-g-g-g-g-g-grandmother." But there is just the single profile with the DNA symbol. And there are no notes or anything else on the profile, not even any sources, to explain its presence. All I can assume is that it is a last resort to not have the generic male or female icon.
Since it is meaningless for everyone except the person who put it there, it should probably just be deleted but I'll leave that call to others, even though she is supposedly my 18th great-grandmother if all the linking connections are correct. That means she probably has a similar connection to a few million other people, also.
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Hi, Aine, thank you for your replay regarding Mary Mcdonald. It was very confusing to me.
I'm trying to research this line. I have them in my tree up through John Morrison, I and Prudence Gwyn.
I LOVE your name. How interesting!
Thank you again for your help.
Mary Jo
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Hi, Gordon,
Thanks again for your help. I am researching this line and I do have connection through John Morrison I and Prudence Gwyn. At Patrick Morrison and Elizabeth Coupar, I lose the connection.
I found some Daughters of the Revolution records that indicates there may be a connection, but I need to review that better.
It would be so exciting to make this connection. I have also received an email from Family Search that I might be connected to Robert I de Bruce King of Scotland. Wouldn't that be exciting?
If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know.
See, I don't even know how to make this "dark" print go away. I have so much to learn!
Mary Jo Kidwell Hanna
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See, I don't even know how to make this "dark" print go away. I have so much to learn!
No worries on that! You probably copied the title of Robert I de Bruce King of Scotland and pasted it in, right? All you need to do to remove the bold is to highlight the text that is bold. Then you will get a pop-up where you can click on the 'B' to remove (or add) bold.
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But it's been more than 4 hours, so you can't edit. Users can only edit within 4 hours of posting. After that, only mods can edit.
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Hi, Aine,
I don't know anything about a time limit. Where can I read all the rules? I guess I need to know how to do this thing.
Thanks for letting me know how to change the dark and light. My mom always told me to learn something new every day. I have lots to learn!
Can I ask where you are from? Your name is fascinating! I am from (location removed).
Mary Jo
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I don't know that there is a single place to find all the tricks. When you have made a new post or comment, you will see a little box in the top right. If you click on it, you'll see how much time you have left to edit. Once 4 hours have passed, the box will disappear.
There is a link to the Community Code of Conduct on almost every page.
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@Mary Jo Kidwell Hanna mod note: Here is the link to the Community Code of Conduct. Because Community is an online public forum, your comment was edited to remove your location. This is to protect your privacy. Please see the Community Code of Conduct for more details.
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