Re: Byrd DNA Project
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In reply to:
Re: Byrd DNA Project
Margaret Louise Byrd Sams Breeden 4/30/06
Hello, Margaret,
Please...don't ever feel that you are asking a stupid or needless question. We all encounter new information for the very first time and need to have things explained to us. In fact, this question is so commonly asked that the FamilyTreeDNA website includes it on their "Frequently Asked Questions" page as follows:
"My ancestors are all long dead.How do I get their DNA?
Males carry the yDNA of their Surname ancestors, so we test them as representatives of their ancestors. DNA tests are taken from the living and compared among groups of people.We look for male descendants who share a common surname or surname spelling variant.A single Y-DNA test is not that useful, but can be very revealing when compared to known or suspected cousins.In many cases, yDNA matches among individuals indicate a common male ancestor who may have livedhundreds of years ago, with the“cousins” being completely unknown to one another."
If you'd like to read more about how the DNA-testing works and how it can help with your genealogy, I'm including below a link to FTDNA. On the left-hand side near the top of this page, you'll see a section called "Getting Started." The first option in this section is called "Frequently Asked Questions." I think you'll find your question and many more answered here.
http://www.worldfamilies.net/http://www.worldfamilies.net/
I'm certainly no expert on the DNA testing process, but I will be glad to answer any questions that you may have that are not explained to your satisfaction. If I don't know the answer, I do know who to ask. It was my persistent question-asking that got me designated as a volunteer co-coordinator for the Byrd DNA Project at FTDNA.
Sherry Johnson