My experience squares with Diana's. A 35/37 match with a suspected 9th cousin, a 36/37 match with a known 3rd cousin, and a 36/37 match between these 2 cousins, was strong evidence that the suspected 9th cousin was a true genetic relationship. Upgrading to 67 markers yielded a 65/67 match with the suspected 9th cousin, confirming our respective paper trails, which included a NPE. We're currently waiting for test results from a suspected 11th cousin. If we get confirmation of this male-line genetic relationship, we'll have another generation back in time, linking the Humphrey families in Lyme Regis, Dorset, and Honiton, Devon, circa 1577. And we're successfully finding genetic relatrionships among several surnames in our Humphrey project, and merging paper trails, 3-11 generations back in America & England. Some of Ken's work is helpful, too, in analyzing more distant relationiships. Mike ... ===================================== Y-DNA STR testing is useful at every level within genealogical time (20-24 generations, the period of surname adoption), now. We don't have to wait until we're dust to use it, and it's not at all "hit and miss." It only gets dicey when you try to go back beyond genealogical time, which, as a genealogist, I have no interest in doing. The testing is most effective when both the haplotype and the surname are rare, such as with my Haplogroup J2a4b CARRICOs, whose nearest matches in other surnames are only 5/12, 17/25, and 21/37. At the other extreme are common haplotypes in common surnames, such as R1b1b2-WAMH in SMITH, THOMPSON, DAVIS, etc. In these cases, it's imperative that everyone test to at least 67 and be deep SNP tested. I've yet to run into a case where sufficient testing didn't resolve the issues of relationship. Diana -----Original Message----- From: y-dna-projects-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:y-dna-projects-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Billie Walsh Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2010 9:05 AM To: y-dna-projects@rootsweb.com Subject: [Y-DNA-projects] DNA I sit here and read and try to figure out what DNA testing really does. I'm beginning to formulate a theory that for much more than four or five generations back it really isn't worth much at this time. If you want to know if your father is really your father it's accurate. Maybe for a couple more generation back. Back much further it kind of become hit and miss. Especially for the most common group, r1b1*. As time goes on and more and more get tested this could/will change. [ but probably not before I'm dust in the bottom of a hole. ] Comment???? ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to Y-DNA-PROJECTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of