The following is taken from the BBC web site. It would be interesting for all those with the STRONG name to volunteer for a similar test. The upside is that the patrilineal line would be proved. The downside is that for some men the patrilineal line established by genealogical research would be disproved by a different father being involved. Another possibility is that a STRONG might belong to a different STRONG line than assumed. Note that Prof. Sykes did not have a very large sample, but he has done three other surnames. Professor Bryan Sykes, at the University of Oxford, started the research as "a bit of fun", but it is likely to have an impact in genealogy. Professor Sykes used samples from 61 volunteers who shared his surname to establish a link between the name and the distinctive DNA. He has found similar results for three other names, but thinks the link may not hold for the most common surnames like Jones and Smith. People sharing a surname may share a single male ancestor. Genealogists had long assumed that there would be several founders for every family name. [do you believe this?] It has been traditional in England for children to take their father's name and so Professor Sykes and colleague Catherine Irven looked at the Y chromosome, which fathers pass to sons but not daughters. They randomly chose 250 men with the name Sykes and asked for DNA samples: 61 replied with a swab from the inside of their cheek. Half of the group shared four unique sections of DNA which were not found in control subjects either in Yorkshire or other areas of the UK. [If there was only one or two differences, this could have been a mutation and would not be evidence of infedelity. I don't know if Prof. Sykes looked at this.] The other half did not have the Sykes DNA, suggesting some infidelity in the Sykes dynasty. However, the estimated rate of infidelity over the 700 years the name has existed for is very low. If just 1.3% of the Sykes children in each generation were fathered by someone other than a Sykes, then the accumulation of "foreign" genes would mean that about half of today's Sykes would not have the unique DNA. The research is published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. For the complete story, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_701000/701286.stm Portions in brackets are my comments. Lloyd Horrocks, Ph.D., <Horrocks.2@osu.edu> Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry The Ohio State University matrilineal descent from Abigail Strong (1808-1868), greatgreatgrandmother She is daughter of Ezra Strong, b 1763, Colchester, CT, d 1833 At 11:06 AM 08/30/2001 +1200, you wrote: >oops, forgot to say it was a Professor SYKES, the gentleman that I am citing >below. > >cheers, >Brenda >ajmac@internet.co.nz > > > From: Brenda & Tony MacCulloch <ajmac@internet.co.nz> > > Reply-To: STRONG-L@rootsweb.com > > Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:01:30 +1200 > > To: STRONG-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: STRONG related families who are politicans > > Resent-From: STRONG-L@rootsweb.com > > Resent-Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:59:26 -0600 > > > > yes I agree, we are indeed all related. > > > > I was listening to an Oxford University Professor being interviewed on the > > National radio. It was fascinating. He is an expert in DNA testing. > > > > He was discussing the different types of DNA testing that is now > possible to > > be carried out. > > > > In particular, the 'M' Gene DNA testing that is specifically carried, in an > > unbroken form through the female family members. > > > > Also the 'Y' chromosome DNA testing that is only carried through the male > > members of the family. > > > > Using the 'M' DNA testing, (it was a long story and I am only giving > you the > > outcome of the research here), they found that all women in the world are > > descended from one African woman. From her there are SEVEN main 'clusters' > > of 'M' DNA 'types'. > > > > Apparently, one can go to the web page he mentioned called Oxfordancestors > > and apply for a self collection kit to do a 'mouth scraping' to find out > > which of the seven clusters of the 'M' DNA types one belongs to. Everyone > > belongs to one of them and only one of them as it is an unbroken line > > through the maternal line that takes us back there. > > > > The 'Y' Chromosome testing is through the male members and several 'One > name > > studies' have shown that on a random testing, men with the same name, and > > not necessarily related in any way, are related back to a single individual > > male. > > > > I stand to be corrected in any way of the above science but its sure > > fascinating and when I get over this jolly bronchitis i think I will do the > > test to see which cluster of the seven M types I belong to. > > > > Thanks for your kind knowledge and reply. > > > > Brenda > > ajmac@internet.co.nz > >