How old is this project?
This project was started in 2010.

Who is running this project?
This project was started independently but is now affiliated with Clan MacKinnon Society. The Society strongly encourages its members to participate.

Who should contribute DNA to this project?
As a surname project our primary focus is on the testing of Y-DNA. Y-DNA is what we call the sex chromosome “Y” that is passed from a father to his sons only, women do not receive a Y chromosome. Testing the Y chromosome allows for investigation into a male's paternal family line and can help identify surname lines, living relatives whose Y chromosome is similar to yours, and ancient migration routes your paternal ancestors may have taken. As such, males with MacKinnon ancestry are strongly encouraged to participate.

What test should I buy?
According to FamilyTreeDNA, if you are looking to begin Y-DNA testing, the Y-37 Marker test allows you to become familiar with Y-DNA results. The Y-111 test is the most beneficial for joining this MacKinnon DNA Project or for those looking to confirm Y-chromosome matching at our highest level between two living men. The difference between the Y-37 and Y-111 tests is that FamilyTreeDNA analyzes more markers (STRs) with the Y-111 test, which allows for more refined results including matches. The Big Y-700 is for expert users, it provides over 200K SNPs and additional STRs; however, these markers do not provide more refined matching.

Who should I contact if I need help or have questions?

You can email either of the admins listed for this project.