This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Allison, Ellison Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/Zk.2ADE/960.1 Message Board Post: Dear Jayne, My Allison ancestors migrated from NY to OH in 1841. They moved west to Iowa in the early 1850s and then to southeastern SD in the early 1900s. I was born in Minnehaha County which borders McCook county where Canistota is located. Although I have no proof, I'm wondering if we share a common Allison ancestry in New York. You probably already that there is an ongoing Allison/Ellison Y-chromosome DNA project. Y-Chromosome DNA is passed from father to son down through the generations just as surnames are passed from father to son. Only men inherit the Y-chromosome, therefore only men with the Allison or Ellison surnames can be participants in the Allison/Ellison Y-chromosome DNA Family Reconstruction Project. In other words, the Y-Chromosome DNA samples can only be provided by Allison or Ellison males who have the ALLISON / ELLISON Surname. My brother is a participant in the DNA project. There are several participants who have identical or closely matching DNA scores who share Allison ancestors who lived in NY in the 1700s and 1800s. Our Allison/Ellison DNA Project Results webpage is online. The NY Allison descendants are in Group B. The URL is: http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~allisonellisondna/index.htm The Family Tree DNA Company (FT-DNA) <http://www.familytreedna.com/> is the company that is analyzing the Y-Chromosome DNA samples to help many researchers find connections between the various lines of different surnames. FTDNA is located in Houston, Texas in the United States, but they can mail their kits to any place in the world. The Family Tree DNA Company (FTDNA) is offering at reduced prices three different Y-chromosome DNA paternal ancestry tests to registered family groups like the ALLISON/ELLISON group: (1) the 12 marker test for $99 (US dollars) (2) the 25 Marker test for $169 (US dollars) (3) the 37 Marker test for $229 (US dollars) It is necessary to add $2 shipping cost. The advantage of either the 25 and 37 marker marker tests is that they help to narrow down how recently two male Allisons share a common ancestor. If they would match on all 25 markers, then they have stronger proof that they share an ancestor within a more recent time period (200-300 years ago) and it would be easier to determine where and when their mutual ancestor lived. A close match on 37 markers would confirm that the two men share a recent common ancestor. The method of obtaining the DNA cells is simple and painless and doesn't involve any drawing of blood . The type of DNA that is analyzed for genealogical purposes doesn't provide any data about medical conditions. Family Tree DNA sends a small tube with Q-tip-like swabs to each participant. All that needs to be done is to swab the inside of the cheek to collect some cells, replace the swabs in the tube and mail it back to Family Tree DNA. In about 8 weeks the company informs the participants about the results and lets them know if their score matches anyone else in the Family Tree DNA database. If you have any living male relative WITH the ALLISON surname....father, uncle, brother, nephew or cousin (even a very distant one), he would be an ideal participant to represent your Allison line in the Allison/Ellison Y-chromosome DNA project. The link below can be used by an Allison or Ellison male who might wish to submit his name, mailing address,e-mail address, etc. to order a DNA sample kit to be mailed to him and join the Allison/Ellison DNA Project. http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=H99693 All the best, Mary Allison Yonan Co-ordinator, Allison/Ellison DNA Project yonan@fgi.net