You are correct, the "2nd-4th cousins" at FTDNA tend to be wildly optimistic.  In particular, matches on the low end of the range of total shared cM could easily be at least several generations farther back than indicated.  The farther back the connection, the more difficult it is to prove the connection, even if you think you know what it is.  Trying to identify those remote cousins has proved unproductive.  I get somewhat better results by moving my kits to GEDmatch and using the tools there to develop a thorough inventory of triangulation groups, many of which I have been able to identify as paternal or maternal in origin, and occasionally, to connect them with a particular ancestor. John McCoy(RealMac@aol.com) In a message dated 11/22/2018 7:17:44 AM Pacific Standard Time, genealogy-dna@rootsweb.com writes: I have 266 2nd-4th cousin matches at FTDNA.  Four are actually 2nd cousins and I tested two of them.  The other two (mother and daughter 2nd1r) were easy to identify.   I should be able to identify any second cousin and most third or fourth cousins quite easily if my match has genealogical or geographical information.   I am willing to try to figure out the connection if matches have ancestry in certain Virginia counties, but when they don't know that they have Virginia ancestors, trying to connect them would be a huge waste of time.  This is the reason why I am not optimistic about autosomal testing although I continue to try. Furthermore, I am convinced that many of these 2nd to 4th cousins are actually more distant--hence the difficulty in determining how they are related.  Families who lived in the same burned record Virginia county  from c 1650 to 1850 and beyond moved in a small circle and often married their cousins, close or distant.  Lindsey  _______________________________________________Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebprefUnsubscribe https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/genealogy-dna@rootsweb.comPrivacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blogRootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community