This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Harden, Hardin, Harding Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/xEC.2ACI/79.1 Message Board Post: Dear Linda, My Harden ancestors were from Allegany Co., MD and Somerset Co., PA and were there in the 1700s and 1800s. Did you know that a Harden.in.ing DNA Project has been started? DNA testing can help us to find out which men with the HARDEN/HARDIN/HARDING surnames are actually related and share a common ancestry. The URL for the webpage that show's the Harden.in.ing DNA Project's results is: http://home.carolina.rr.com/whardin/hhh.htm My cousin, James Robert Harden, has already ordered his DNA test and his results are back from the lab. If you click on the above website and then click on his ancestry line, it will take you to his paternal HARDEN pedigree chart. He is the only Somerset County, PA HARDEN descendant to join the project so far. 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 can be participants in a Y-chromosome DNA Family Reconstruction Project. The Y-Chromosome DNA samples for the Harden.in.ing DNA project can only be provided by HARDEN, HARDIN or HARDING males who have the HARDEN/HARDIN/HARDING Surnames. Do you are a living male descendant of your HARDEN line who HAS the HARDEN surname? If you have a father, uncle, brother, nephew or male cousin with the HARDEN surname , he can participate in the Harden.in.ing DNA project. His participation would be very valuable, because we can find out for sure if your Harden line and mine share a common Harden ancestor from PA and MD. The Family Tree DNA Company (FT-DNA) <http://www.familytreedna.com/> is the company that is analyzing the Y-Chromosome DNA samples of many different surname DNA Projects. FT-DNA is the company that is conducting the Harden.in.ing DNA project also. FTDNA is located in Houston, Texas in the United States. 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 9 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. Men that have matching DNA scores are notified by Family Tree DNA of the names and e-mail addresses of each man who is a match. The men then share their genealogical research with each other and work together to learn more about how they are related to each other and try to discover who their common paternal ancestor was. 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 Harden.in.ing 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 $219 (US dollars) It is necessary to add $2 shipping cost. The advantage of the 37 and 25 marker tests is that testing more markers helps to narrow down how recently two or more Harden/Hardin/Harding men share a common ancestor. If they would match on all 37 or 25 markers, then they have stronger proof that they share an ancestor within a more recent time period and it would be easier to determine where and when their mutual ancestor lived. Your rmale Harden relative can use the link below to submit his name, mailing address,e-mail address, etc. to order a DNA sample kit to be mailed to him. http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=B96714&special=True There is a drop-down menu at the above website and you can click on which of the three tests you want to order. You will need to make a choice of ordering the 12 marker test which costs $99 plus $2.00 shipping in the U.S., the 25 marker test which costs $169 plus $2.00 shipping in the U.S., or the 37 marker test which costs $229 plus $2.00 shipping in the U.S. You can also choose whether you want an invoice to be mailed to you with the DNA sample kit or if you want to pay for it with a credit card. Terry D. Parks is the Harden.in.ing DNA Group Project Administrator paroman@flash.net I look forward to hearing from you and answering questions you may have about this new method of combining Science and Genealogy. It is effective in helping men with the same surname find out if they are actually related and share a common ancestry. Best wishes, Mary Yonan yonan@fgi.net