Each issue of the Family Tree DNA Newsletter presents a situation which you may encounter as you utilize DNA Genetic Genealogy testing for your family history research, followed by their recommendation. This article is from the current issue, which I just received. JCB Case Study ========== If two brothers were born in England in the early 1600's and were the first of that name to come to the colonies, would it be likely that the present day descendents of those brothers would have similar Y-DNA readings? If the last names became spelled differently, would not the descendents of those two brothers still have similar DNA Haplogroups. Specifically, could descendents of one brother be R1b and the descendents of the other brother be Rla or even G, J, or I? Recommendation ============== If you test a descendent of each of two brothers born in the early 1600s, you would expect their results to be either an exact match or a close match. Their haplogroup would be the same, since this reflects distant origin. If the two participants are in different haplogroups, this means their common ancestor is tens of thousands of years ago - and not in a genealogy time frame. If this occurs, there are several explanations, including: mistaken connection in the genealogy research, infidelity, a wife marrying who is pregnant by an unrelated man, and informal adoption. The first step is to check the paper trail. Surnames evolved over time, and spelling was not standardized until the 1900's. It is very typical to find changes in the spelling of a surname prior to the 1900s. The surname may also be spelled different ways in the same document. Most people were illiterate, and when they spoke their name, another party wrote it down, based on how it sounded. Migration often had a significant impact on spelling, due to new pronunciation in the new location. Therefore, descendents of two brothers could each use a different spelling today. If participants were tested from each descendent, the test results should match or be a close match. (Copyright 2008, Family Tree DNA), and cite "Facts & Genes" (http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.aspx) Used by permission Facts & Genes. Copyright (c) 2008 Family Tree DNA. All rights reserved.