The best type of DNA test for proving DNA relationship 12 generations out (and candidates for taking test if done today)

+2 votes
440 views

I have a relative [Svajda-1] that is 12 generations removed from Cleopatra [Powhatan-5]. What DNA test would be best to try to prove all 12 generations are linked correctly? He has a daughter and sons, but are they too close to provide any cost benefit? I hope we can at least start to prove connectivity for any real ancestors of the Powhatan. Can any genealogist help and assist as an individual or in group? Specifically,  the type of DNA test required, and if family members took the test today, who? Mother, son, Uncle.  Father Daughter Nephew? Grandniece? thx

WikiTree profile: Cleopatra Powhatan
in Genealogy Help by Kirt Fetterling G2G6 Mach 1 (19.1k points)
Since there are no documented descendants of this woman, who also only exists in one reference to a lost document, I don’t believe there there is any DNA to test.  If she was actually a biological sister of Pocahontas, then those descendants might carry some of the same DNA.

1 Answer

+6 votes
Your chances are extraordinarily small, of confirming any connection through DNA.  There are 3 types of DNA tests, autosomal, yDNA, and mtDNA.  Autosomal tests (Ancestry, Family finder, etc) are only useful up to about 6 generations away, very rarely a seventh generation, so it's out.  yDNA is strictly a male line thing, so all you can prove is a connection from Jerome Svajda to a proven male relative of hers.  I don't think there are any proven male relatives, so I'm rather sure that's out too.  That leaves only mtDNA, but it's strictly passed down through mothers to daughters, no males at all.  Matthew does have the mtDNA of his mother Catrerine and grandmother Josie, so if your Indian connection could be through them, then it's remotely possible to find a suggestive DNA connection.  But if they don't have Indian blood, then it's not possible to find it through anyone else, not with today's technology.  To get that mtDNA test result, either Matthew or his mother could be tested, a mitochondrial DNA test.

The next problem is that to test a connection, you need tests of 2 different and distant descendants, for a comparison, at least one of which has a proven paper trail documenting their ancestry to Cleopatra.  And at that distance of 12 generations, most DNA veterans would say you need 3 matches to confirm, not just one other match.  That's not impossible, but going to be very difficult, many obstacles to overcome.
by Rob Jacobson G2G6 Pilot (137k points)
edited by Rob Jacobson

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