Description and
Overview of the Brown DNA Study
The
Brown Surname Y-chromosome DNA Study is a volunteer
genealogical activity, whose ultimate aim is to use DNA
patterns for tracing Brown families worldwide and for
discovering relationships among these families. The
project is coordinated by non-paid, amateur genealogists, and actual lab
work is done by professionals at the University of Arizona
through a contractor, Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) of Houston TX.
Our
project is just over six years old and is still growing. Rufus
B. "Byron" Brown was our founder, and he served as Project
Administrator until late 2002. Randall Colston took up the
post of Co-Administrator and Webmaster in 2002. Jim Brown
became Co-Administrator in late 2002, upon Byron's
retirement.
We now have just over 450 tested members, who belong to some
230 unrelated, biologically separate Brown family lines. A
number of participants have reported real breakthroughs in their
own genealogical research, thanks to the project. What's more,
we've had good success not only with DNA matching, but also
with people who've used our website to connect with other
Brown lines even in cases where they have not yet found a DNA
match.
We are confident successes like these will increase
significantly as "the word gets out" concerning the
power of DNA analysis in genealogical work. And as our
study's database grows, we anticipate many more breakthroughs.
Our study and other DNA surname studies are based on
Y-chromosome DNA, which is possessed only by males. It is
passed from fathers to sons virtually unchanged over hundreds
of years. Therefore, direct participants in DNA surname
studies necessarily must be males.
Direct participants in our study, that is, people
who are actually tested, must be males who either (1) carry the
Brown surname, or (2) are thought to be descended directly in an unbroken
male-to-male line from a Brown-surnamed male.
Please note, however, that if you are not a test candidate
yourself, you are still welcome to sponsor test participants,
join our
project's mailing list and help recruit new
candidates for testing. In this regard, we hope you can pass
this message along to others who might be interested -- or
even persuade one of your Brown-surnamed male relatives to
submit a DNA sample for our project.
So if you have a Brown brother, father, cousin, nephew, or
uncle who has at least a slight interest in genealogy, maybe
you can help enlist them in our research. In fact, many female Browns and non-Brown cousins
have already become project members by sponsoring their Brown-surnamed male
relatives.
DNA samples for the study are furnished by means of a gentle
"swab" inside the mouth. The test is about as much
trouble as brushing your teeth and is completely painless. It
does not involve drawing blood or other intrusive methods, and
it is done at home with a small kit mailed directly to
participants. The cost is modest, starting at $101.00
for the most basic test (12 markers), while the recommended
test for new participants (25 markers) costs $150.00.
Results
may be kept anonymous, if a participant wishes, although
virtually all participants have opted to list their names
alongside their results
in an open database.
No project member receives any money from the study. Others
donate their talents and resources in additional ways. The
only fees involved are the
charges paid to FTDNA for test kits and lab work, and they
give project members a significant discount below the normal charges.
Even if you aren't interested in joining the study at this
time, but would still like to follow our progress, you are
invited to sign up for our project's mailing list. There is no
cost for this service, and all Brown researchers are welcome.
Please let us know or use the link below if you would like to
be added to the mailing list.
To
Join Brown DNA Project Mail List:
Send an email to Brown-dna-study-request@brownsociety.org.
Put the word "subscribe" in the title and in
the body of the email.
To post a message to all other
members of the project, you may send it to the following
address - Brown-dna-study@brownsociety.org
To view the archives of our mailing
list, or to see a list of members, you may using the following
link:
http://brownsociety.org/mailman/listinfo/brown-dna-study_brownsociety.org
Questions
and Answers:
Who
can be tested in the Brown Project?
You
must be a male who descends (or is thought to descend) from a Brown-surnamed
male ancestor in an unbroken male-to-male line.
This qualification means that in most cases you will carry the "Brown"
surname. But adoptees and other "biological Browns" are welcome as well.
The limitation to Brown males is necessary because the Y Chromosome DNA test is
the only known way to track a surname that passes down from father to son. This result comes
not only because women do not possess the Y chromosome, but also because the
Y chromosome is passed from father to son with very little change over
hundreds -- even thousands -- of years.
Who does the Actual Testing?
A company named Family Tree DNA, located in Houston TX, is our contractor.
They make all arrangements for actual lab work, which is performed in the
world-class DNA lab at the University of Arizona.
The following link will take you to the FTDNA home page:
http://www.familytreedna.com
This site has a lot of detailed information on the uses of DNA in genealogy.
In particular, you will find the title "Tutorial" on the right
side of the page, below the search blocks. This link will lead you to
explanations of the testing process, test kit contents and instructions,
charts, and a host of other information. This FTDNA information link it is an
outstanding resource, and we recommend it to you. Please note, however, that
if you want to be part of the Brown DNA Study, you should NOT order your
kit directly from FTDNA. We say this because you will not get our special
discount price unless you order through the project.
The Brown project has a few
members who have tested via other labs. If you've tested
somewhere other than FTDNA, you may join our project if you
first post your results at the Y-Search website:
http://www.ysearch.org
If you haven't yet tested, however, we strongly urge that
you test only via FTDNA. The reason is that even though most
of the other labs are very reliable in a scientific sense,
they test slightly different "menus" of DNA markers, meaning
that it's sometimes difficult for our project to compare and
incorporate their results.
What does it cost to be tested?
Currently
the lowest cost "basic test" for project members is $99.00 (12-Marker Y-chromosome test) plus $2.00 for shipping and handling.
Please be sure to keep in mind that this is a discounted price for the Brown
DNA Study. The kit must be ordered through our project to get the discount.
(Individuals who order directly from FTDNA will pay much higher prices.)
What is in the test Kit?
FTDNA
will send a kit with contains 2 swabs, 2 vials, instructions, and a release.
The following link has a picture of the kit contents and instructions:
http://www.familytreedna.com/kit.html
How
do I Order a Test Kit?
To
order a test kit just send a simple email with the following information to:
Full
Name including middle name, Shipping Address, Billing Name and Address (if different from Shipping
Name and Shipping Address), E-mail Address, and Phone Number.
We also would very much like to have your basic Family Tree information in the
male-to-male line. Specifically, we request at least three generations of
Brown male lineage information, that is, yourself, your father, and your
Brown-surnamed grandfather -- if available.
We would also like to have the county and state of residence of the earliest
man in this line. But if you don't have some of this information, please just
send what you can. And you may send information on additional generations, all
the way back to your earliest proven Brown male ancestor, if you wish.
Whom should I contact about the Brown DNA Study?
Group
Administrator:
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