No DNA linkgage between a member & John Burnett I? Im in that line & have had ftdna FF TEST.

Question

No DNA linkgage between a member & John Burnett I? But I'm in that line & have had ftdna FF TEST and have listed it on Wikitree. So how do these genetic links with someone so far back show up?

 

In my tree: my mother Bernice Lucile Burnett is in my mtdna, but, ALAS, it is through her father, William Ward Burnett, that I'm linked to John Burnett Sr.  Please tell me how to unravel this problem of my understanding.

Answer 1

Hi Roberta, Are you asking why your Family Finder test information doesn't display on the WikiTree profile of John Burnett-139? If that's your question, it's probably because your tree doesn't go back far enough to connect to John Burnett-139. When I look at your tree, your Burnett line stops with your 2nd great grandfather, Richard Moses Burnett-2148. Do you know how he is related to John Burnett-139? If yes, then you need to add your additional ancestors to WikiTree, connecting to him. If no, then WikiTree can't display your connection to him.

Comments

Thanks for your answer. I figured it might be that, but minds work in strange ways sometime. It's good to have your assurances, Kay.

Logistics, it's in sequential logic that we find answers. Sometimes.

Answer 2

Hi Roberta,

The Family Finder tests for AU or Autosomal DNA which you get from all of your ancestors. You generally will get close to 50% from each of your ancestors which means the percentages become very small the further back you go. The amount of auDNA becomes to small to register in a meaningful way by the time you reach the 5th or 6th generation from the test taker.

It is also a good idea to have cousins from each side of the family take the same test to enable you to determine which portions of your auDNA come from which ancestor.

The Y and mt DNA is passed unchanged through your mother's direct maternal and father's direct paternal ancestors unchanged which is why these two tests can stretch back so far in time.

HTH

Comments

It seems that the Y- and MT-dna stay stable, but only through 5 generations. Why then DO these tests stretch far into the historical past? Don't they just stop after the 6th gen??

A woman passes mtdna to her son(S) but those gentlemen can't pass it along to their progeny of either gender. A woman passes mtdna to her daughter(s), who then pass it to their daughters. It seems that anyone with a gma or ggma (etc) should be able to see at least 5 or possibly 6 generations of connections.

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Autosomal DNA is the one that generally becomes reduced over time.

Y-DNA and Mt-DNA, when talking in the context of haplogroups, changes relatively slowly. So these are able to be traced back much further than 5 or 6 generations. Depending where on the haplogroup tree you have tested to would determine whether you are looking at a change hundreds or thousands of years ago.

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Thanks, Simon, for all of the above notes. This clarifies my goofy thinking, caused mainly, I hope, by a construction calamity in the world other than family tree research, DNA or real world historic.

In my father's and my case it is semitragic that AU dna dwindles so fast. I do know some 3rd or 4th gen Askenazi relatives (thru ftdna.com), and I want to and must discover how they are related, as in what is the connection. Only one of them is alive now, and he is a male, tested by ftdna also. How do I find out the specific individual in the now long ago past (c. 1889 and prior 10-15 yrs?)

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Autosomal DNA testing would be good for that sort of matching, but if you have Ashkenazi heritage that causes severe complications. Most studies suggest that due to the small gene pool a high proportion of Ashkenazi will be or appear to be 4th to 5th cousins.

Your autosomal DNA won't "dwindle rapidly", it is more likely that you have more DNA from other ancestors and you have yet to find the cousins from those ancestors.

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Up vote for Simon for that explanation.

Answer 3

it appears that the DNA will not show pre 1700

I see this on all my lines I've gone back before 1700

the occassional one of 1685 shows a link but generally not before 1700

my test was autosomal

regards Jackie

Comments

Y-DNA and mtDNA shows as far back as WikiTree goes.  Autosomal is most useful within about five generations.  X-DNA can be useful more generations but WikiTree limits the connection to the same boundry as autosomal DNA.