Would grandson's YDNA show info on his Maternal Grandfather

Question

Hi,  I am still learning my way around here, and I am hoping someone can steer me in the right direction.  

My father is deceased, with no sons, I have two sons and no daughters.  If one or both of my sons had a DNA test done for the YDNA would that help indentify  info on my father?

Trying to verify if  William Douglas is really a Gritman or a Koch, and as he only had 3 daughters, who all had sons.  How can we go about solving the puzzle.  His step-father believed that he was truly a Gritman, as he looked like his step-uncle.  All of those are deceased, so it only leaves grandsons.  

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Wanda

Answer 1

No, I'm sorry it would not. Y DNA is passed from father to son. Your sons' Y DNA comes from their father. You and therefor your father contribute nothing to it.

It is still possible to get a better handle on lineage, I believe, even without it. I'm going to leave the ins and outs of that to someone with a better handle on how DNA works to explain that part though. ;)

Comments

Thank you Deb,

                  I love puzzles but this one looks like it may remain a mystery.  What was funny, is that my possible matches on Ancestry had a few with the surname Koch, but none seemed to fit in with what I knew.   There was also one that  had Gritman.  It just added to the puzzle.

Answer 2

No.  Ydna only tracks the male line of descent.  Your fathers ydna could be found if he had any living male cousins/ uncles in his line as their ydna would be the same also male descendants of cousins or uncles would also work.

Comments

Thank you Mike, That is what I thought, but felt it was worth asking.  Looks like I am out of luck as there are none, that I know of.  I know Arthur the step-father's brother had a son that is still alive, but I know nothing of the Koch, except that the father died about 1967 and I only saw a daughter born.  

Thanks again.