A distant relative – on my fathers side – I’ve only met once emails me occasionally to discuss family tree stuff. I did a wee bit of research a few years ago but she’s much more keen and has got pretty far with it. She’s coming to the area soon and would like to meet up again.

She has also asked if I would consider DNA testing to help her research. Apparently, she really needs it to be a male member of the the family.

I’ve not replied yet and was thinking it’s just a bit of harmless fun. But what if it threw up a real curveball and the result indicated my father wasn’t my, err, father?

Both of my parents are dead now but I do have a brother.

Would you chance it, be helpful, or is it not worth the risk?

Any outcome doesn’t change the truth. It’s like not going to the doctor in case you’ve got something unpleasant.

That said, if something does come out of the woodwork, presumably your parents acted like your parents for most of your life. If biology was wrong, does it matter?

I agree with Cougar. Go for it.

What’s the worst that could happen?

But what if it threw up a real curveball and the result indicated my father wasn’t my, err, father?

It cant do that (not without testing your brother).
Depending what you mean by “distant relative” though I wouldnt be overly surprised if you didnt get a match.
Apparently estimates are about 1-2% false paternity per generation so adds up over time.
For example when they tested Richard III DNA they only found a match on the female line. Male line didnt match.

My wife and my sister are into this kind of stuff, and both have done the genetic testing. The results have been more about geographic origins of their genetic markers rather than who their family members are. After all, if you want to prove someone is your father/mother/son/daughter, you need to test both the parent and the child.

The results have been more about geographic origins of their genetic markers rather than who their family members are. After all, if you want to prove someone is your father/mother/son/daughter, you need to test both the parent and the child.

Aye, I’m sort of aware of what it can show, but I know my fathers background. What if it showed up I was, well, English?

What if it showed up I was, well, English?

Tell them you’ll do it as long as they lie to you if so.

😆

What if it showed up I was, well, English?

You would be blessed. Sorry open goal.

It wouldnt show anything useful. Whilst there do seem to be certain gene clusters linked to certain areas I dont think it is pinned down to male or female lines and certainly when not it happened.

So I would say absolutely nowt to worry about aside from if you think she will stop speaking with you if you find you aint related. Since assuming there are a few generations between you that cant be ruled out.

I thought you were worried about bad news?

Agree to do it, but insist on Jeremy Kyle’s involvement

But what if it threw up a real curveball and the result indicated my father wasn’t my, err, father?

Is that a likely outcome?

If the test did prove you were English, could it point to being born in Warrington ?

I wouldn’t worry about finding out your father isn’t your father as they can’t do that without your father’s DNA. If they test your brother as well it is actually really hard to prove that you’re brothers as it’s very possible for you to have no DNA markers in common. Getting a result that says you have no DNA in common with your brother does not prove he’s not your brother.

Is your DNA likely to be in any police investigations?

What if it showed up I was, well, English?

Nothing is worth this sort of risk. NOTHING.

What if it showed up I was, well, English?

Could be worse; you could be from Nigg…

The consumer DNA tests that you can do (23andme, etc) just look for common markers and make a nice report full of half-truths and overly keen interpretations. You likely have brown hair, blue eyes, 2% Neanderthal 30% sub-Saharan etc.

Requesting it to be a male member of the family suggests she’s trying to track an Y chromosome (as they’re inherited 100% from your father) but without your father’s DNA that’s fairly useless…

It’s mostly nonsense but if she’ll pay for it then it can’t do any harm, unless this is actually an elaborate sting and she works for a three-letter agency. 🙂

To anyone who is moderately interested in this sort of stuff and wants to learn more I can heartily recommen A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our Genes. I got it for 99p in a Kindle sale but annoyingly its back at full price now.

Either those tests show nothing useful, or they are too intrusive so I wouldn’t. But I wouldn’t want to disappoint her so I’d give her a sample from someone else. Maybe the dog, that’d give her something to ponder. Scottish dog tho, I don’t want to get rumbled.

Sounds like the set up start to a great horror movie. Triggered by a visit from a distance relative and set against the brooding darkness of the Cairngorms, Colin finds out that there’s genetic mutuation in his DNA. A mutuation that causes him to……

…..understand cricket?

Have his wandering ways curtailed by arcaic land access laws?

Your dad’s the bloke who paid for your food and wiped up your snot. The other guys a sperm donor.
If the test throws up a suprise that is.

I’d be more concerned on the health implications. Genetic mutations will also be checked as part of this. Do you want to know an increased likelihood of certain cancers, or Alzheimer’s?

Have a look at an example output from 23andme (who struggled to get FDA approval so went down an ancestry route) to see what it tests. Other labs could test more.

That’s the bit id rather not know, and neither did my wife. If I’m going to be a bigger dottery old fool she’d rather not know she’s condemned to that future til later.

What if it showed up I was, well, English?

In the context of Family Tree research I’m a bit puzzled as to what you’d do with someones DNA.

You’d use DNA to prove or disprove a blood relationship where its disputed but I don’t think people researching their family history are generally doing it to settle an argument. But apart from settling such a dispute what new information can come to light as a result of testing someone’s DNA? It seems to only be a source of non-specific information – general race and geographical markers where as Family Tree research is really about things that are a bit more specific than that.