My 12 marker test, matches exactly with other people on the Y-Search or Y-Base database who have different surnames. Are they related?
A. No, almost certainly not. With 12 markers, there is simply insufficient resolution to avoid these spurious matches. You should only pay attention to exact matches, with an identical surname to your own, if you have only 12 markers. With 25 markers, an exact match to an unrelated surname is more significant, and may indicate a common ancestry. Scottish Clans in particular had close affiliations and indulged in “part taking” and cross adoptions.
Related Questions
- The people to be tested live in different cities. Can I order a DNA paternity test if the different parties to be tested do not live near each other?
- My 12 marker test, matches exactly with other people on the Y-Search or Y-Base database who have different surnames. Are they related?
- People are so different. How accurate can it be when a test classifies people into a small number of categories?
