Hi Steve & all, Yeah, the only DNA that can be checked in the female lines is mitochondrial-DNA, since we females don't get any of the Y-DNA to check. Those folks looking at that mito-DNA can trace back thru the mother's mother's mother etc DNA. So, for example, if I checked my mito-DNA, I would be looking not to my dad's Poythress line at all, but instead back to what is now the Czech Republic thru my mom, my maternal grandmother, her mother, etc. Barbara 4/16/06 stevew602 wrote: > Barbara, > > Pardon a naive question. Does Y-DNA only work with strictly female lineage? As you probably remember, we Walls (me dad and I) believe ourselves to descend from a John Wall-Anne Poythress union but (like Lou Poole's site shows and Batte's chart hints) it's only an educated guess. I suppose we couldn't use Y-DNA if the Poythress link is through Anne but the Wall link is through John, right? Steve