I've been doing genealogical research since about 1977 (Roots was the impetus). However, I've been REALLY working with DNA information for the last couple of years. It's been made even more interesting, lately, when two of my male Y-DNA testers have proven to be descended from surnames other than the one they've owned since birth. The switch seems to have come about eight generations ago for one and a whole lot further for the other, so I may have a chance of finding the change in surname for the first but probably not the second. I'm going on the assumption that my paper research is missing a gggggrandmother that married Surname1 first, had kids with him, Surname1 husband died, and she married a second time to Surname2 (the surname I have on the paper trail) who promptly adopted the Surname1 child. If the DNA/Name change was due to something other than a second/subsequent marriage, I'll have very little chance of finding it, so I'm going on the first assumption. During these interesting searches, I've learned a LOT about DNA research. The types of tests you need to take; the tools you can use to analyze the data; how to contact your matches; on and on. I've shared many links with my local Tennessee Genealogical Society group that met once a month, but since the new group leader begins tomorrow, I guess I'll try to remember to share here. There are EXCELLENT blogs and Facebook groups and Wikis with very knowledgeable group leaders. If you find a match, how do you tell if they're a first or second or third cousin? How do you know if the match is on your paternal or maternal side? If you come from a small county (like my Lyon or Caldwell counties in Kentucky) where your families have been there for generations and those families have married each other MANY times over the generations, you need to become familiar with the term ENDOGAMY if you are doing DNA research and are coming up with matches from those little, much married, counties. It means that your DNA matches will look like they're more closely related to you than they really are because of the DNA duplication.
A good place to start in learning about DNA is the Wiki by the International Society of Genetic Genealogy: https://isogg.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy
You'll learn about the different tests and why you should take each and MUCH more.
If you want to read blogs and Facebook groups on DNA, you couldn't do any better than:
Roberta Estes' blog:
https://dna-explained.com/
There are charts to help you figure out if a DNA match is a 2nd cousin, a 3rd cousin or a 2nd cousin once removed......
Two recent entries from the above listed blogs will help you with those charts:
There are Facebook groups to help adoptees find their biological parents using DNA. There are Facebook groups on GEDMATCH and the analysis tools contained there. There are Facebook groups on the DNA testing companies.
Just jump in and read, read and read some more.
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