Why do a DNA project? Here is a case study of a group with the surname Norin. We are trying to accomplish much the same by identifying the different Bunker groups so that when someone does not know their ancestry, DNA will tell them which group they are in and where they should concentrate their research. If you are interested in learning more about the project or in joining it, check out our website http://www.bunkerfamilyassn.org or email Bette Richards at betterichs@earthlink.net Spot Light: Norin Surname Project =================================== The Norin Surname Project was started because "26 years of paper research had led no where". The Group Administrator, Bill Norin, had spent many frustrating years trying to find the connection for his family tree to a location in Sweden, for further research. All he knows about his grandfather is that he was born somewhere in Sweden, and his grandfather's father was John. The objective of the Norin Surname Project is determine which Lines are related, and to identify a location for each Line, for additional research. This Surname Project includes Norin and the variants: Noran, Noreen, Noren, Norene, Norine, Norinsky. The first 5 participants are 4 Norin and 1 Noren. They are from Sweden, Russia, and the Ukraine. Three (3) results are back from the lab, and none of the participants are related, nor did any of the participants have any matches or near matches in the Family Tree DNA database. Looking at the Recent Ethnic Origins database, the participant from the Ukraine has exact matches with persons in the Ukraine and Lithuania and near matches with persons in the Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Germany. For one Sweden participant, the Recent Ethnic Origins database shows a match in Russia with a native Siberian, and near matches in many locations, including Russia, Ukraine, Shetland, England, China, Norway, and Finland. For another Sweden participant, searching the Recent Ethnic Origins database shows a match in Iceland and England, and near matches in Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and England. Not only are their DNA results different, their Recent Ethnic Origin results point to different geographic areas.