GENETIC  GENEALOGY

The unraveling of the double-helix DNA structure was first accomplished just over 50 years ago (April 1953) by scientists James Watson and Francis Crick.  They received a Nobel Prize in 1962 for their monumental legacy.  Subsequent decoding of the biological blueprint to life has led to breakthroughs in crime investigation, medicine and genealogy.   YES, GENEALOGY!

Most of us are now quite familiar with forensic scientists demonstrating the value of DNA in solving crimes.  DNA analysis has also been vital in verifying paternity, indicating the likelihood of inheriting life-threatening or disabling diseases, as well as responsible for break-troughs in medical research.  The same technology can now also be used by family historians to make physical connections with their ancestors, not by having centuries-old relatives exhumed, but by a simple comparative analysis of cheek cells from living descendants of our ancestors.

Family historians often find themselves 'hitting the wall', after thoroughly researching every known and available genealogical record.  Researchers may find they are unable to verify genetic links to ancestors, especially when the ancestors in question emigrated from overseas several centuries ago.  Records may be incomplete, destroyed or lost.  In many cases, our ancestors lives may not have been well documented.  Nuances in surname creation and spelling of the surname down through the years may have caused confusion and lost genealogical trails.  And finally, oral family histories that we depend on in some cases may be faulty.

In some cases, no matter how much effort, time and money are put into a family history project, the research results in a 'dead end'.  Many researchers give up at this point or perhaps wait for dozens of years hoping a missing piece of documentation will show up.  Now, thanks to advances in genetic science, the walls are beginning to crack as genealogists turn to DNA analysis to develop confirmed links with their ancestors.

Genetics testing is the greatest new tool available to genealogists since the creation of the Family Tree!   After all, DNA is the Gene in Genealogy!

Recently, it has become increasingly apparent that we are all related, and I don't mean just those of us with the same surname in our family tree.  The question is not are we related;  but how far back in time is our common ancestor.  Some day, the science of genetics is going to use our DNA to help structure our basic family tree far beyond what we can do with standard generational research using historical documentation.  For our purposes today, DNA testing can already tell us if one Knowles descendant is related to another Knowles descendant via Y-chromosome testing.

To learn more about the wonderful new world of genetics testing in support of genealogy, please read on.  A number of links have been provided below to help you understand why genetics testing is rapidly becoming a great tool for genealogists, to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about genetics and genetics testing, as well as how to participate the Knowles Surname DNA Project. 

Surname  &  Regional  DNA  Projects

Genetics testing in support of genealogical research is now readily available and affordable.  Starting in December 2002, Robert B. Noles became the Group Administrator for a number of Surname and regional DNA Projects.   These project involve testing the Y-chromosome DNA for men to establish the unique DNA profile for each of the various surname lines.  Only men have a Y-chromosome.  Women have two X-chromosomes, so obviously they cannot be tested for a surname project  (Note: a different type of DNA, called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can be tested for both men and women to determine direct female lines of descent).  The following series of Huxford Genealogical Society articles provide some background concerning why DNA testing is important for genealogists and provides links to summaries of the results from tests already conducted.

DNA projects are now available for over 25,000 unique surnames in over 2,500 individual Surname Projects.  And many Regional DNA Projects are being established.  A Regional DNA Project has been established for Wiregrass Georgia.  By joining either an existing Surname or a Regional Project you can:

 Obtain tests at reduced rates  (over 30% off retail)

Avoid setting up your own Surname or Regional Project

Avoid setting up a Web site to recruit participants & report results

  Obtain the assistance from a Project Group Administrator

A Regional Project like the Wiregrass Georgia Regional Project is a good place to start if your Surname Project has not yet been established.  The Surnames link below identifies surnames of interest for the Wiregrass Georgia Regional DNA Project.  The existing surname projects of special interest to descendants of Wiregrass Georgia Pioneers are available via the link to Wiregrass DNA Projects.

What  is  DNA ?

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is the double-stranded helical molecule found in the cells of all living organisms.  DNA contains the biological, genetic instructions to build an organism.   DNA also controls the day-to-day function for all cells.  A gene is an instruction comprised of a section of the long, double stranded helical molecule of DNA.  About 25,000 genes are contained in the human DNA in packages called chromosomes.

What  are  Chromosomes ?

Chromosomes are paired threadlike ‘packages’ of long segments of DNA contained within the nucleus of each living cell. In humans, there are 23 pairs of chromosomes. In 22 of the pairs, both members are essentially identical in structure, one deriving from the individual’s mother, the other from the father.  The 23rd pair is different.  In females, the 23rd pair has two like chromosomes called ‘X’.   In males, the 23rd is comprised of one 'X' and one 'Y';  two very dissimilar chromosomes.  It is these differences in chromosome 23 that determines the sex of an individual at conception.

Types  of  DNA

Autosomal DNA (atDNA)  -  The autosomal DNA is the portion of the DNA in the nucleus of all of our cells that contains all the information and instructions which determine our individual genetic identity.  Our autosomal DNA is the random combination of all the genetic information passed down to us from all of our direct line ancestors (male and female).  Autosomal DNA is contained in  the two sets of chromosomes in the nucleus of all of our cells.  These are the chromosomes that determine our unique identity and appearance.  We receive these chromosomes from our mother and father (one set from each one).  There are 44 autosomal chromosomes arranged in 22 pairs numbered 1-22 from the largest (#1) to the smallest (#22).  Autosomal genetic markers are used for the typical paternity tests and individual identify tests in the forensic field, but not typically used for genealogy research.

Y-Chromosome DNA (Y-DNA)  -  The Y-chromosome, the smallest chromosome is one of the 23rd chromosomes also found in the nucleus of our cells.   The Y-chromosome is found only in males.  It is one of the sex determining chromosomes (the other being the X-chromosome).  The Y-chromosome is passed from a father to a child via a sperm cell which contains the Y-chromosome of the father.  The sperm cell having a Y-chromosome determines that the child will be a male.  Thus only males have the Y-chromosome and only males can pass along the Y-chromosome from father to sons.  Y-DNA markers are used in surname DNA projects to establish the Y-chromosome profile for a particular direct male line represented by the surname.

X-Chromosome DNA (X-DNA)  -  The X-chromosome is the other of the two smallest chromosomes in the nucleus of our cells, known as the sex determining chromosomes.   Males have one X-chromosome and one Y-chromosome.  If the father passes on his X-chromosome via his sperm, the resulting child will have two X-chromosomes, one from the child's mother and  and the other from the child's father.  In such cases the child will be a female.  The X-chromosomes when paired in females also interchange genetic information via cross-over effects similar to what happens with the autosomal chromosomes.  Thus after just a few generations it is very difficult to track the ancestry of a particular X-chromosome's genetic markers.  Therefore testing of the X-chromosome is not typically used for genealogical projects except in some family reconstruction analysis cases involving only a couple of generations.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)  -  Mitochondrial DNA is a non-nuclear DNA (DNA not contained in the nucleus of a cell).  mtDNA is a small molecule contained in the Mitochondria organelles which are located inside of the cells of all of a mother's children, both male and female.   The mtDNA is passed on from generation to generation via the egg cell of the mother, therefore only females can pass on the mtDNA to their offspring.  Therefore, mtDNA testing is also useful for genealogists for tracing the direct female ancestry of an individual.

Why  is  the  Y-Chromosome
So Important  to  Genealogists ?

The Y-chromosome is passed down from generation to generation (father to son) normally unchanged. The very minor changes that do occasionally occur at random (usually only after many generations) are actually very helpful in assessing the results of the DNA test. The Y-chromosome is the only human chromosome that escapes the continual reshuffling of parental genes with every new generation.  It is this unique characteristic of chromosome 23 that makes the Y-chromosome so important for genealogists.

For any particular individual, it is a random chance as to which parent’s chromosome (and its associated DNA) will be inherited.  For example, one or more of the genes in one of the human chromosomes determines the child's eye color. Brown is dominant over blue, so if the child inherits a brown eye gene from one parent and a blue eye gene from the other parent, the child will have brown eyes.  Because eye color is a visible characteristic, you may be able to determine (guess) which parent provided the brown eye gene to the child.  However, in most cases, because the genes are inherited at random in every generation, for any given characteristic of your makeup, you will typically not know whether the activated gene in the child came from the mother or the father.

Men can only inherit the Y-chromosome from their father, because the mother doesn't have a Y-chromosome (that's the difference between boys and girls!).  A man passes down his surname and his Y-chromosome DNA to his son.  In most Western countries since the middle ages, the surname has been patrilineal.  So, here in the 21st century we can test the male Y-chromosome and know with a great deal of certainty the identity of the Y-chromosome that the man's male ancestors had over 500 years ago when surnames were first used.  We don't have to dig up our ancestors to test their DNA!  In fact, the Y-chromosome deteriorates rapidly after death, so it is unlikely a DNA test could determine one’s Y-chromosome profile for someone who is no longer living.

Who  is  Responsible  for  the  Testing
and  the  Analysis  of  Results?

Family Tree FDA (FTDNA), a company out of Houston, Texas, is managing the DNA testing for the Knowles Surname DNA Project.  FTDNA requires only a gentle swab from inside your cheek to obtain a good DNA sample for the test.  Testing of the DNA takes about 5 to 6 weeks after the test swab is received by the laboratory.  Certified test results are provided to the submitter and to the Project Group Administrator to assist you make the necessary genealogical comparisons and interpretations.  The results of one individual’s tests will not define his direct male ancestor.  We need to be able to compare the results from one man's test against the results of other men with a direct line common ancestor to establish the genealogical links.

What  Results  are  Obtained ?

A 12-marker (or 25, 37 or 67-marker) test is conducted on the cells retrieved from your cheek.   The more markers tested, the more certain we can be of a match (genealogical link) between two or more participants.   Markers are specific loci on the genes within the human chromosome.  The 12-markers (or 25, 37 or 67 markers) that are examined have been selected by the 'experts' to best represent the unique nature of the Y-chromosome.  The Y-chromosome has many 100s of loci, perhaps several 1,000 all together, but the scientists have been able to narrow down the number to a few loci that they believe are the most meaningful for genealogical test purposes.  In other words, when we compare the specific test results for each marker for one man's DNA against other men, we are most likely to determine if there is a recent common ancestor using as few as 12-markers (although 25, 37 and 67 marker tests provide results with greater probabilities).  In some cases, the 12-marker test will suffice;  however, in many cases, we may need to run a more definitive test using 25, 37 or 67 markers to be very sure of the results.  The more markers used for the test, the more likely (higher probability) there is a recent common ancestor when all the markers for both men are tested to be identical (12 for 12, 25 for 25, 37 for 37 or 67 for 67) or very nearly identical (11 for 12, 23 for 25, 34 for 37 or 62 for 67).  Obviously the more markers tested, the higher the cost of the test, although DNA testing for genealogical purposes is now quite reasonable.

The test results by themselves won't mean much to the casual observer.  In fact, you can't plug your results into a computer database and have it print out your genealogy.  Someday, this may be possible, but not today.  That's another whole different story.  Anyway, what we can do today is compare a man’s DNA test results with the results of other men who have been tested in the same manner.  When the results are an exact match, we know that there is a 99+% probability that the two men tested have a recent common ancestor.  So, when we have men with fairly well established genealogies, such as we have for many of the Wiregrass lines, we can then assume an individual’s results represent the Y-chromosome profile for that particular ancestor.

Wiregrass Georgia DNA Projects

Existing projects of special interest to descendants of Wiregrass Georgia Pioneers are listed via the link to Wiregrass DNA Projects below.

DNA  Inheritance  Chart

Your genes are inherited.  The DNA testing readily available today for the benefit of genealogical research involves the Y-Chromosome for a man's direct surname line (father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.) and mitochondrial DNA for a person's (man or woman) direct female descent (mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, etc.).  In other words, you or members of your family can easily and economically be tested today to confirm the two outer most lines of your pedigree chart.  A graphical representation of this inheritance can be viewed via the link below.