surname/dna link

[jannyneve]

i read this today in the daily mirror,men with the same surname have a one-in-four chance of being related,researchers compared the dna of 150 pairs of men who share british surnames and found a quarter linked genetically.the link is stronger for uncommon names and could help police......the reason it caught my attention is that i recently sat through a trial where the person on trial was found guilty on dna evidence alone,this man had four full brothers and two half brothers ,whos dna had not been tested,and the expert claimed the odds of it not being the accused were 0ne in six thousand,he also had the most uncomman surname i had ever heard,he always maintained his innocence throughout,does this mean if the brothers had been tested he may not have been convicted?

[Sequin]

No - they would have similar DNA fingerprints, but not identical unless they were identical twins

DNA fingerprints look at regions that vary between people - the familial matching looks for similar areas