Unknown Father — No-Match Checklist

Build your complete match database across all four major platforms.

Create a master spreadsheet sorted by cM descending to isolate top matches.

Verify that your top mystery match is in the distant cousin tier.

Compare against maternal tested relatives to isolate a clean shortlist of unexplained paternal matches.

Use shared cM (e.g., 200–450 cM = 2nd cousin range) to estimate distance to the anchor ancestral couple.

Group unexplained matches (40–400 cM) into distinct color-coded clusters.

Isolate the clusters sitting strictly on your unknown biological father's line.

Trace trees backward to find where match lines intersect at a shared ancestral couple (Anchor Ancestors).

Build descendant trees forward from the anchor couple to the generation of your unknown father.

Enter anchor couple, matches with exact cM figures, and score hypothetical positions for your father.

Input match data into banyandna.com to test complex multi-line hypotheses using Bayesian modeling.

Eliminate impossible positions, but hold leading hypotheses loosely pending paper-trail proof.

Filter candidate brothers/cousins in the anchor family by birth year, military records, and conception location.

Confirm candidate identity with independent DNA cluster data and documentary records before contacting.

Approach a close relative or search angel (DNAAdoption / Search Squad) for confirmatory testing.