Betty wrote: > I'm no expert on DNA, but if this was a "Y" chromosome DNA test, wouldn't > male descendants of all three 2nd generation brothers have the same markers? > Betty That's certainly a "going-in" position, but minor mutations do occur all the time and there's no way to predict when. The DNA marker that is different between the two DNA samplers in the case under discussion is Marker #9. To get technical, Sampler #7136, deccendant from Richard(5) of Patrick Co., VA [alleged grandson of my Hezekiah (3)] , has for the 9th marker [DYS439] an allele count of 11 whereas Sampler #13401, traced back definitely to John Massey (5) of Giles Co., TN and tentatively to Hezekiah (2), has an allele count of 12 for the 9th marker. Mr. Bennett Greenspan, well known expert on DNA analysis, says the 9th marker is the FASTEST CHANGING marker that has been studied. So we can't state with certainty that Richard(5) and Hezekiah(2) connect this side of the Atlantic but almost certainly they have a common ancestor. To get even more technical, there's a 50% probability that they connect within 9 generations back from them and a 90% probability within 21 generations back. In view of the fact that it's the 9th marker involved AND since there's some genealogical evidence for a US connection, the probability of a connection at a more recent recent generation level goes up. Regards to all, Theron Smith 5-great grandson of Hezekiah(3), son of Richard(2), brother of Hezekiah (2)