Several Coats/Coate/Coates families lived throughout the US. Were they related at all? A special effort is being made to test those who might help us find that missing link. New connections made daily! To find out, we need to get more male descendants of Coates/Coats/Coate to take the Y chromosome (DNA) test. Three of my Coats line have taken it (It takes about 10 seconds to swab the inside of your cheek; then it must be mailed to the lab), and lo, we are related, plus we have about ten new, distant relatives. The problem is that there as yet are many branches in this family that would help us solve many family connections, so the links to the other relatives are as yet unknown and the kinship may be back 100s of years! So we need more males to take the test! Only males can participate in the Y Chrom projects, but as long as he is a Coates/Coats/Coate from your line he can take the test for those who are not Coates/Coats/Coate surnamed. This is becoming the resource of first choice for the beginner or seasoned genealogist, so why not add your family line now! Why we do it ! The Y chromosome is passed from father to son unchanged, except for a mutation about every 500 generations. Testing the Y chromosome will provide you with a genetic finger print consisting of 12 or 37 numbers. By comparing this finger print to others with your surname, you can determine if they are related. The objectives of Surname Projects vary. Here are a few: * Identify others who are related * Prove or disprove theories regarding ancestors * Solve brick walls in your research * Determine a location for further research * Validate existing research Often a Surname Project has multiple objectives, and the objectives may even change over the life of the project. Most Surname Projects start with the objective to identify others who are related, and through out the project the other objectives are achieved simply as a result of the project. Current Coates/Coate/Coates males tested, and we have 11 distinct family lines have been identified, plus there are some that have no matches. Test results are posted here: http://www.coatsarchive.us/dna.htm Our Most Wanted DNA lines: http://www.coatsarchive.us/DNAmostwanted.htm For more info regarding the Coats/Coate/Coates DNA tests, go to: http://www.coatsarchive.us/dna.htm Charlotte Coats Coats DNA Project Admin -- Always Remember: Without documentation, genealogy is mythology! Coats Archive http://www.coatsarchive.us Need Original Records? Pages through Time http://www.pagesthroughtime.us