A DNA test for genealogical purposes can result in one or more surprises. Sometimes those surprises impact more than the tester–they can impact other living family members as well. Not all surprises are about relatives who have been dead for a hundred years. You could discover that a parent or grandparent had a relationship (and a resulting child) with someone you do not know.
Non-genealogists in your family may be impacted by this discovery.
A “surprise” cousin could result in a similar fashion if an aunt or uncle had a child that no one knows about. Other living family members may not even know about that child. It is very possible the father may not even know the child exists.
Many people find no modern “surprises” in their DNA results. Some do. Those surprises may not even come immediately. That unknown cousin may not perform a genealogical DNA test until years after you have done yours.
2 Responses
That certainly makes sense. I am really beginning to understand this. But also know medical reasons may warrant looking for them.
I am one who was surprised by finding my birth father was not my mother’s husband – whose name I carry. I had for many years suspected this but had waited until DNA for genealogy was available to prove it. 75 years it took but it wasn’t really a shock for either me or our sons. Physical size and appearance were much earlier indicators.
A twist to this story – my non birth father died and 5 years later my mother married – you guessed it – to my birth father. From the time I was 10 until just recently, he was my step-father. You just couldn’t make this stuff up!
Bobee