Since I have received so many messages from Stowell descendants requesting more information in regard to the PatriLine ancestry testing best known as Y-DNA testing which contains Y-Chromosome to trace a male Stowell's ancestry, I have decided to enclose herein a copy of an email message from FTDNA as it may answer your questions (see it far below). Now as to the MatriLine, I have good news for female Stowells. Those interesested in tracing down their maternal ancestry can take the mt-DNA testing (mitrochondrial DNA) which contains X-chromosome. Books recommended: - "Mapping Human History" by Steve Olsen, Historian (new) - "Seven Daughters of Eve" by Prof. Dr. Bryan Sykes, geneticist (new) Mailing List: [email protected] Regards, [email protected] ________________________________________________ --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mark/FTDNA <[email protected]> Hi Jean - please see our Web site at http://www.familytreedna.com/ That is the best way to see what we have available and to read a lot of material associated with it for better understanding. We do not really have a pamphlet or brochure that is comparable - too much information (that is changing too rapidly!) I'll also describe for you below our most oft-ordered tests. Take care! - the Y-DNA test, which looks at your Y chromosome. It will trace your direct paternal lineage, meaning your father's father's father's father's - line - and so on. It cannot look at your father's mother's line, only at the males in your father's direct line. This test will provide you with information about you ethnic ancestry by suggesting you to a particular Haplogroup (scientific grouping of people by DNA migration pattern). This test will look at the possibility of Jewish or Native American ancestry. You also will have a "matches" component to your test results: if you any exact DNA matches in our database, you will have the opportunity to contact them via e-mail. You may keep yourself in our database going forward, for as long as you like, which is advantageous because we are growing quickly and signing up new customers each day. If someone tests with our company next week or next year and they are a match with you, we will send you an e-mail notifying you of this. It should be noted that this is the only of these tests that must betaken by a male (we need a Y chromosome for this test). - the Maternal Match. Works similarly to the test above, except that it examines mitochondrial DNA and looks exclusively at your mother's direct maternal line, meaning your mother's mother's mother's mother's - and so on - line. Again, this test cannot cross gender - it cannot see your mother's father, for instance, only directly up the all-female line of your mother's mother and so on. In terms of results, this test will give you the same information, including "matches" and Haplogroup designation, as the Y test above. - DNA Print Test. This test works with a different type of DNA than those above and can, therefore, look at your entire ethnic ancestral background, the sum total of all the lines converging into you - mother's mother, mother's father, father's father, father's mother. The results of this test are expressed in approximate percentages of deep ethnic ancestry, including Native American, Indo-European, African and Asian. An example of results to this test might look as follows: Indo-European 75% and Native American 25%. The limitation is that, unlike the tests above, it cannot tell you which line a particular percentage came from. In my example, the test could not tell you which line the 25% Native American ancestry came from. There are "bundles" available, which simply means that as these three are our most frequently ordered tests, you may order them individually at their regular prices, or two together at a discounted price, or all three of these together in our most comprehensive package, called the DNA Works. Please let us know if you have any other questions! Email Any Time! Warmest Regards, J Mark Price Anthrogenealogy Response Center Manager Family Tree DNA [email protected] Phone: (713)-868-1438 Fax: (713)-868-4584 ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!