Well, I'd have all of you max out your testing! ;-) Seriously, if you have some matchees still at 25 markers, then, yes, the first priority would be to bring everyone up to 37 markers. Then for those still matching at a high level, you *all* need to upgrade to 67 markers, or more. Recall in the examples that the GIBSONs had their private mutation in the first 12 markers, but the CORBIN with the NPE has his first private marker match with the SHERMAN in markers 38-67. You don't know, until you test, where that "golden" private marker will appear. If you don't have the NPE, then the MAXWELLs and the ODOMs do, or all three of you could have NPEs and you're all three really something else. Even if you don't have the NPE and they are really BROWNs, you need to them a favor by upgrading along with them. The gist of it is that this is at least two and possibly three NPEs in Haplogroup R1b. You are going to need 67 -- or more -- markers to resolve it. There are more markers than 67: http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/DNA/General/FTDNA-Markers-maxout.shtml For people with solid paper pedigrees connecting them, who are in haplogroups less common than R1b, a 37-marker test will likely suffice to confirm that the paper genealogy is correct. But when the DNA tells you your paper pedigree is wrong, because of an NPE, you're going to need all the markers you can get. The more markers you test, the more precise you can be in making connections. In other words, the closer the common ancestor you can identify and the more confident you can be in that connection. You don't *have* to do any of this, but the more you test, the more you will accomplish. Diana > -----Original Message----- > From: brown-bounces@rootsweb.com On Behalf Of fbrown726@aol.com > Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 2:09 PM > To: brown@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [BROWN] Did the bull jump the fence? > > Again, thank you Diana! Your knowledge of DNA and how that > helps us with our genealogy is much appreciated. I have been > advised to not worry as much about getting the 67 marker test > for myself but rather to get a 37 test for a 25/25 Brown cousin > who is documented by paperwork. You seem to suggest getting > the 67 marker test above anything else. Or am I missing > something? I do tend to suspect that I may have what you call a > NPE. What should I do? Get the 37 for the cousin if he agrees, > get the 67 for myself or get both? > > Frank >