About us
Please purchase your test kits, including third party transfers, from the following link. The sale prices will be displayed here when they are offered:
https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?&group=Smith-Northeastern&vGroup=SmithConnections
SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project members are descendants of early Smith families to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The SmithConnections Northeastern DNA project is a means by which researchers can identify earliest known ancestors of this surname who lived in the Northeastern United States before the 20th century. Participants must be male Smiths because the genetic characteristic measured (the Y chromosome) is passed along the male line from father to son. If you are a Smith relative but are female or are male with another surname, you may wish to recruit a male Smith relative - perhaps a cousin, father, brother, or uncle - to participate. Y chromosomes are passed from father to son across the generations without change except in rare instances that occur only about once every 500 generations. DNA is an abbreviation for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, the agent inside the cell nucleus that contains the genetic "blueprints" for living organisms to develop.
The DNA test involves a simple cheek swab that is analyzed by a research lab at a discounted price for those who are part of our group. The kit containing the cheek swab materials will be mailed to you, and you will be assigned a kit number and password for accessing your results after they have been analyzed. The process usually takes about six to seven weeks. If your DNA sample matches with another person's, you will be put in touch with that person (if both you and he have signed release forms giving permission), so that you can share information. With your permission we will post DNA results on the project's web site. The results are meaningful when compared with those of others in the study. Results are identified by the names of the earliest known Smith/Smyth/Smythe ancestor, not by the names of participants. All group participants' identities and contact information are completely private.
These kinds of tests for paternal lineage can be selected: "25-marker," "37-marker, and "67 marker." The more markers, the greater the precision, especially with a common name like Smith. These markers (allele positions) can be thought of as "genetic fingerprints." With a match on 25 out of 25 markers, there is a 50% probability that the MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor) was no longer ago than 7 generations, and there is a 90% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 19.8 generations. Upgrading to the 37 marker test or the 67 marker test is frequently recommended. With upgrade orders no additional cheek swab is needed; further analysis is done on the sample already obtained.
With a match on 37 out of 37 markers, there is a 50% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 5 generations, and there is a 90% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 16 generations.
With a match on 67 out of 67 markers, there is a 50% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 2-3 generations, and there is a 90% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 5 generations.
So, the question arises: How many markers to start with? With a common name like Smith, our recommendation is to start with 25 or 37 markers. But you may choose to start with 67, the most precision available. Other kinds of Family Tree DNA products and services are offered, and you can read about them on the order page.
Questions? Concerns? Email the administrator at KinCityKitty[at]gmail.com.
If you are the sponsor of a kit, and someone else is contributing the sample, you can be the main contact. The kit can go to one address and the invoice to another.
Do you have to submit any documentation of your line to us? No. We are not like a genealogical society such as the DAR or SAR. Our research is often a process of trial and error as we try to make progress on our family lines. We would like a little information about your earliest known Smith ancestor to put on this page. You can change or update your information by contacting the administrator.
Sometimes people are concerned that they can be identified from their Y-DNA results. However, only a very small portion of DNA is of interest, only 12 to 67 markers on the Y chromosome. No individual can be identified, just family groups. The haplogroup and numbers for alleles, or markers, on the Y-DNA chromosome identify only a branch of a family, and they are the same or similar for generations of direct-line males going back, which is the appeal of a Y-DNA surname project to participants.
https://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?&group=Smith-Northeastern&vGroup=SmithConnections
SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project members are descendants of early Smith families to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The SmithConnections Northeastern DNA project is a means by which researchers can identify earliest known ancestors of this surname who lived in the Northeastern United States before the 20th century. Participants must be male Smiths because the genetic characteristic measured (the Y chromosome) is passed along the male line from father to son. If you are a Smith relative but are female or are male with another surname, you may wish to recruit a male Smith relative - perhaps a cousin, father, brother, or uncle - to participate. Y chromosomes are passed from father to son across the generations without change except in rare instances that occur only about once every 500 generations. DNA is an abbreviation for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, the agent inside the cell nucleus that contains the genetic "blueprints" for living organisms to develop.
The DNA test involves a simple cheek swab that is analyzed by a research lab at a discounted price for those who are part of our group. The kit containing the cheek swab materials will be mailed to you, and you will be assigned a kit number and password for accessing your results after they have been analyzed. The process usually takes about six to seven weeks. If your DNA sample matches with another person's, you will be put in touch with that person (if both you and he have signed release forms giving permission), so that you can share information. With your permission we will post DNA results on the project's web site. The results are meaningful when compared with those of others in the study. Results are identified by the names of the earliest known Smith/Smyth/Smythe ancestor, not by the names of participants. All group participants' identities and contact information are completely private.
These kinds of tests for paternal lineage can be selected: "25-marker," "37-marker, and "67 marker." The more markers, the greater the precision, especially with a common name like Smith. These markers (allele positions) can be thought of as "genetic fingerprints." With a match on 25 out of 25 markers, there is a 50% probability that the MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor) was no longer ago than 7 generations, and there is a 90% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 19.8 generations. Upgrading to the 37 marker test or the 67 marker test is frequently recommended. With upgrade orders no additional cheek swab is needed; further analysis is done on the sample already obtained.
With a match on 37 out of 37 markers, there is a 50% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 5 generations, and there is a 90% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 16 generations.
With a match on 67 out of 67 markers, there is a 50% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 2-3 generations, and there is a 90% probability that the MRCA was no longer ago than 5 generations.
So, the question arises: How many markers to start with? With a common name like Smith, our recommendation is to start with 25 or 37 markers. But you may choose to start with 67, the most precision available. Other kinds of Family Tree DNA products and services are offered, and you can read about them on the order page.
Questions? Concerns? Email the administrator at KinCityKitty[at]gmail.com.
If you are the sponsor of a kit, and someone else is contributing the sample, you can be the main contact. The kit can go to one address and the invoice to another.
Do you have to submit any documentation of your line to us? No. We are not like a genealogical society such as the DAR or SAR. Our research is often a process of trial and error as we try to make progress on our family lines. We would like a little information about your earliest known Smith ancestor to put on this page. You can change or update your information by contacting the administrator.
Sometimes people are concerned that they can be identified from their Y-DNA results. However, only a very small portion of DNA is of interest, only 12 to 67 markers on the Y chromosome. No individual can be identified, just family groups. The haplogroup and numbers for alleles, or markers, on the Y-DNA chromosome identify only a branch of a family, and they are the same or similar for generations of direct-line males going back, which is the appeal of a Y-DNA surname project to participants.