[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] DNA testing

[Greg Mason]

Gary:  You have raised a very important question and one about which I  
can speak with a fair degree of positive personal experience.  For 30  
years I  had a brick wall at the 3d great grandfather in my paternal  
line.  About 5 years ago a distant cousin and I began some serious Y  
DNA research (and establishment of a study group) which led to  
breaking that brick wall and "confirming" what I had suspected for  
many years.  My suspicions were based on circumstantial evidence;  
fortunately, he had a solid paper trail back to a person whom  
ultimately became our common 4th great grandfather.    With the  
results of 67 marker Y DNA  testing, together with detailed historical  
analysis of male children and siblings of that 4th great grandfather,  
I am now able to assume my 3d great grandfather's identity with a 95%  
assurance.  Now, a purist would argue that I still do not have a  
"concrete evidence" which  "proves" my lineage.  I'll take my  
circumstantial evidence, our lineage analysis, and the Y DNA 95%  
assurance and stack it up against most of the results I have seen in  
recent years that passes for "genealogical research."  My surname  
lineage and this testing story do not relate to the SGGEE data bases,  
(which are rather on my wife's lineage)  but I am responding to your  
comment because I believe you have raised  an important point and one  
that most researchers must ultimately  deal with as they make a  
decision of whether or not to proceed with DNA testing, especially  
YDNA.  I do share your concerns about the limited utility of mtDNA  
testing, especially without the detailed paper trails.  Thanks for  
raising this question.  Greg Mason


On May 3, 2009, at 7:05 PM, GARY.RUPPERT at comcast.net wrote:

>
>
> The results of DNA testing whether mitochrondial or haplotyping are  
> very interesting, especially in a specialized group represented by  
> this mail list, I am wondering however how often these somewhat  
> expensive studies have proven useful at either establishing or  
> disproving a genealogy link to another individual and thus extending  
> or pruning a line? Although knowing ancient origins may be of  
> interest as the subject for a cocktail discussion,  if that is all  
> DNA testing is able to provide at the moment then its utility is  
> still limited.
>
>
>
> Have any of you had specific examples where connections were made or  
> assumptions were disproved?  If so, were they something more than  
> resolution of a question or paternity or did they make a major  
> change in your research?
>
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