Which great common ancestors

[stfrancis]

Attached is the DNA match profile on ancestry
I certainly do not use DNA matches nearly enough to further my research...
How far back do we have to reach to have any realistic chance of narrowing down which common ancestor we might share... or at least which group of names, or which gender, I should be focusing on ?
There are already dozens of common names in our trees at the 5th generation up

The range reference is 5th to 8th cousin, with only 1 % shared DNA, yet in the probabilities I only see references to 3rd to 4th cousins etc...On other sites such as DNA Painter it mentions probable 8th cousins and even up to 20th cousins!

Still just trying to learn more about this, so any input may be of use and appreciated

DNA.png

[MarcuccioV]

The deepest I have found is a 3rd cousin once removed by paper trail...

[stfrancis]

Thank you Marcuccio

So your DNA match showed in the range of 5th to 8 th cousins, but the match turned out to be actually only 3rd cousin ? maybe I am not understanding ?

I forgot to mention, but I do not have any kind of tree on Ancestry, just the DNA profile
Would having a simplest of tree in the profile help narrow down the possibilities of which names ro follow for any of the "matches" ? I assume it would to a certain extent

[MarcuccioV]

Thank you Marcuccio

So your DNA match showed in the range of 5th to 8 th cousins, but the match turned out to be actually only 3rd cousin ? maybe I am not understanding ?

I forgot to mention, but I do not have any kind of tree on Ancestry, just the DNA profile
Would having a simplest of tree in the profile help narrow down the possibilities of which names ro follow for any of the "matches" ? I assume it would to a certain extent

Admittedly, I get frustrated when I have a DNA match (to my maternal Italian half, at least) who do not have a tree so I can find a possible relationship. Yes, this match showed 5th-8th, I think. His 2GA & my GGm were sisters, I think, IIRC. We are approx the same age but he has an addl gen between our MRCA. He is in the UK since his mother emigrated there, while my Gparents came to the US...

He had only a small tree, but with research I found the connection. I highly recommend creating or uploading as much of a tree as possible.

[MarcuccioV]

I also found a 1st cousin I never knew about (born illegitimate and kept a secret by the family). We are now in contact. It was a surprise, but a pleasant one. She is a sweet person. Took 60 years to discover her existence.

[stfrancis]

Mark, that's great!

So I'll try to get a tree going. I assume it will give me many more matches, but not necessarily increase my chance of determining the correct (how we are related) relative ?

[MarcuccioV]

Mark, that's great!

So I'll try to get a tree going. I assume it will give me many more matches, but not necessarily increase my chance of determining the correct (how we are related) relative ?

If you create/add a tree, it sometimes leads to hints which will expand that tree or connect you with possible relatives. My mantra is to leave no stone unturned...

[stfrancis]

I like your mantra, Mark

When I built my tree, in the Thrulines tool, I was hoping for an indication or hint as to how I am related to my 5th-8th Ancestry DNA cousin match, but alas, no luck so far. I built the tree going only 4 generations back so far....
but I think I read that I read Ancestry will not find any hints or Thrulines past the 5th generation or maybe it was 5th cousins....but I'm not sure that could be one explanation ?

I am quite sure (at least) that this 5th-8th cousin, she is through my father's side give their other genealogical information (common names, birth locations , shared matches ect...). And she is probably through my father's mother's family.... but I will still try to think of a way to continue narrowing down the relationship...

[MarcuccioV]

Thrulines to 5th gen, I believe is correct. No limit on hints...

[stfrancis]

But if both of us would take the Y-dna test, that would at least eliminate the possibility of all the mothers up our paternal lines, correct?

[MarcuccioV]

Y-DNA follows the father's direct paternal lineage.

mtDNA does the same for the maternal direct lineage.

Anything in-between is up for grabs...