If you are male, or a female with access to a male relative’s DNA, you can select a 37 marker Y DNA test. This test is relatively inexpensive but sufficiently precise to determine if you are likely to be positive for known Pettypool DNA Short Tandem Repeat (STR) patterns, or not. You can find an explanation of STR tests at the FTDNA website Learning Center. When you receive the results of your test, FTDNA will notify members of the Pettypool project that your result matches theirs, and one of the administrators will contact you with an invitation to join the Pettypool project. The 37 marker STR test is an inexpensive basic test. The SNP "Big Y" is the preferred tests, since it will precisely place you in the Pettypool family tree. The project administrators can help you select any additional tests. There is a private discussion group on Facebook; an administrator will issue you an invitation to join the Facebook group when you join the FTDNA project. What if I Don’t have Male DNA? We have members who are descended from female Pettypools, and some of them have Maternal Lineage mtDNA results to share. You can find out more about this DNA test at the FTDNA’s website Learning Center. And almost all members have also done a Family Finder (FF) test or have transferred the equivalent test from other DNA test organizations. Working with other Project member’s FF results can advance your research without a Y chromosome result. Please visit www.pettypool.com, the family website.