Lancaster & Berks Miller Family DNA Project
FAQ
1. What does it cost to participate?
Participating is totally free. There is no cost now or anytime
in the future. The project is privately funded by Gary Miller as part of an
effort to memorialize the various Miller families with early roots in Lancaster
and Berks Counties.
2. Who is eligible to participate?
Because the test is of the YDNA it requires any living male
Miller. Only males carry the YDNA. It is passed essentially unchanged from
father to son. So the requirements are:
-
Be a male with the last name Miller
-
Have a Miller family history going back 3 or more generations in
Lancaster or Berks County
3. What does the test involve?
FamilyTreeDNA sends you a kit by mail that includes 2 or 3
cotton swabs. They provide instructions that ask you to rub each swab inside
your cheek and return the swab in the envelope that they provide you. Once you
put your swabs in the mail it generally takes about 10 weeks to receive results.
4. Does the test reveal any personal or medical information?
No. This is a very simple test that only tests for 12 markers
(out of billions possible). All it does is connect you to your paternal
ancestors. There is no other information within those 12 markers. To
participate, you are asked to provide your paternal ancestry as far back as you
know it. That information is then shared with others who match you so that you
may connect with your distant cousins by email or letter.
5. What are the goals of the Lancaster and Berks Miller
Family DNA Project?
There were 200+ Miller families in Berks and Lancaster Counties
in 1790. Many of them were related to each other. So there were, perhaps, 10 -
50 distinct Miller families at the time. DNA testing has helped identify several
of those Miller families but most are still unaccounted for. The hope is that
new participants in the project will provide DNA results that identify the
remaining Miller lines. Ultimately, it will help paint a picture of the people
and migration patterns of the counties in the 1700's.
6. How does my DNA say anything about my ancestors?
In this project we are working with YDNA. YDNA is passed from
father to son essentially unchanged. It is a history book written inside
every man's cells. Like a surname, the YDNA is specific to a paternal line.
Your results will be 12 numbers. The combination of those 12 numbers would be
the same in your father and his father. In fact, odds are that they would be the
same in your 6th great grandfather and further back. By seeing your 12 YDNA
markers, you are also viewing the 12 markers that your paternal ancestor from
the 1600's or 1700's had.
Most of the rest of your DNA is shuffled each generation. But
the YDNA is not, it passes directly from father to son.
7. So how exactly do I get started with this DNA testing?
Just email
gary@millerfamilyhistory.com and say "I'd like to participate in the DNA
project!". I will reply with a few questions and your DNA kit will then be on
it's way to you.
Gary Miller can be reached by e-mail
at:
gary@millerfamilyhistory.com
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