Welcome to the Hunter Surname DNA Project

Genetic genealogy is the use of DNA testing to identify groups of individuals who share a common ancestor. This can help focus conventional “paper trail” genealogy on only those groups of individuals that have a common ancestor.

The purpose of the Hunter surname DNA Project is to encourage those that share the Hunter surname to obtain DNA analyses to allow grouping of individuals that share common ancestry. A worldwide database has been established to facilitate comparisons

You need not know much about the technology of DNA to benefit from Genetic genealogy. The fundamentals that you do need follow:

· The Y-Chromosome is passed from father to son to son, virtually unchanged from generation to generation.

· Females do not have Y-Chromosomes – thus only males qualify for this type of DNA testing.

· We shall focus only on the Y-Chromosome portion of DNA from males who have Hunter, or a variation of Hunter, as their last name.

· Hunter females and maternal descendants can benefit as well, but only by ensuring that a male Hunter surname ancestor, sibling or known cousin is tested and that the data is shared.

· Y-Chromosome DNA testing uses what is referred to as “Junk DNA”, which refers to the fact that it is not generally useful for forensic or medical purposes.

· Sampling typically consists of submitting swab samples from the inside of a peson’s cheek surfaces.

An example of how the Hunter Surname DNA Project can help follows:

Assume that you are a male or female, whose father, grandfather or great-grandfather was an immigrant from Scotland. Assume that is as far back as you have been able to positively trace your Hunter ancestor. Or, perhaps you have a brother or known Hunter cousin that you are certain you are related to that traces back to this Hunter ancestor. Using Y-Chromosome DNA analysis it likely be noted that all of these known male ancestors, male siblings or male Hunter cousins have essentially the same Y-Chromosome results, likely for as many as ten or so generations back.

Now assume that one or more males elsewhere are found to have the same or similar Y-Chromosome DNA to your group. This could be determined and matched via the Hunter Surname database. In our example, above, if a group in Scotland is found that has the same or similar DNA, with a high degree of certainty, you would then know that you likely have a common ancestor with the group in Scotland. By focusing your research only on those individuals, you might find church, bible, court or other records to confirm exactly how you are related. But, you have avoided the many pitfalls of assuming that you are related to someone simply because you have the same last name, or perhaps other similarities, only to later find that you were not directly related at all.

To find out more about DNA testing, the following website includes a tutorial, as well as information on how to obtain a DNA test kit:

www.dnaheritage.com

A special price for Houston Highland Games 2005 is available for a limited time to visitors to the games at:

http://www.dnaheritage.com/houstonhighlandgames2005/

If you order a test kit, please indicate that you want to be included in the Hunter Surname Project and advise me by e-mail at: huntercw@earthlink.net