Gerald Arthur Osborn
Hi everyone,
I’ve been studying the dna test results the last couple days and only now have come to appreciate the amount of effort put into the charts, diagrams and explanations. Thanks for your effort and help Tom. I would like to detail my understanding of the data as it relates to Dick and me.
First, there is the strongest possible paper documentation that Phineas 1767 is my direct ancestor six generations back and although I have not been privy to his documents I know Dick is equally convinced that he is a direct ancestor as well. Because our relationship is established by the paper trail we’re left to try to rationalize the test results.
A look at the 25 marker chart makes it seem pretty clear that we both fit nicely in group 4 and are descendants of Thomas and Mary Goatly Osborn. Dick is unique in the group in that he is the only one in group 4 who varies from the presumed ancestral allele value at allele marker 385a which indicates to me one mutation between him and Phineas 1767. We both vary by 1 at the 391 marker. My situation is that in addition I vary at both the 449 and 464c markers which indicates two mutations between Phineas 1767 and me. Even though these locations are where mutations are most likely to occur, the dna gurus still don’t like a distance of three for proof of a relationship between two people; though according to the charts it does not totally exclude the possibility of us being related. It is Interesting that the results indicate that both of us are closer matches to others in the group whose relationships to us are unknown.
Dick I thought this would be a slam dunk with us matching exactly so I was pretty shocked. As Tom has said it isn’t an exact science with the potential for mutations. At least it put us in the same group. I suspect that additional participants will give us a better understanding of what it all means.
Cheers,
Your mutant cousin,
Jerry