This page contains information about the Jordan Surname DNA Project that is underway with the support of Family Tree DNA at www.familytreedna.com as the testing facility.
The project adminstrators are:
- Norman Jordan at njordan1@maine.rr.com
- Ken Jordan at kenjordan@hotmail.com
- Janet Burks at jm@burksfam.net
1. Project Objectives
The Y chromosome is passed from father to son unchanged, except for a mutation about every 500 generations. Testing the Y chromosome will provide you with a genetic finger print consisting of 12, 25 or 37 numbers. By comparing this finger print to others with your surname, you can determine if they are related.
The Jordan Surname DNA Project Adminstrators recommend that you take the 25 marker DNA test (Y-DNA25: 25 Markers Test).
The objectives of this Surname Projects are:
- Identify others who are related
- Prove or disprove theories regarding ancestors
- Solve brick walls in your research
- Determine a location for further research
- Validate existing research
Most Surname Projects start with the objective to identify others who are related, and through out the project the other objectives are achieved simply as a result of the project.
2. The Y-DNA Test
The DNA testing is as easy as brushing your teeth -- no blood, no doctors, no visits to collection specialists. Your genetic test kit consists of a cheek scraper and a collection tube. You will be able to read the instructions and perform a painless cheek scraping in about five minutes. The effect of using the scraper is about the same as brushing your cheek with a soft bristle toothbrush.
You don't go anywhere. They mail the kit to you and you mail it back to them. The kit is a padded envelop that contains two swabs that look like a tooth brush. You brush the inside of your cheek with one swab, then do the same with the other at least eight hours later. The swabs have nice little handles that allow you to push the soft ends off into small vials of soapy water. The vials have caps that keep the swab tips wet and sealed while they travel to Houston in the envelope.
Most people spend far more money and time doing a single piece of research that results in far less discovery than you will get from this DNA test.
Worried about what else the DNA test lab might find? The answer is not a thing. They won't know if you show positive for a disease, condition or anything else. The test looks only at the Y Chromosome and then only at 12, 25 or 37 specific Loci on the Y Chromosome.
The results are your private information unless you want us to publish the results under a privacy ID on this website. Click here to see the results we have posted so far. We do encourage you to post results so others may see connections between family trees.
3. Select either 12, 25 or 37 markers
The next step for your Surname Project is to decide whether you test 12, 25 or 37 markers. We recommend 25 markers from the outset because the results are more conclusive than 12 marker results.
The 12 marker test is sufficient to determine whether or not you are related to another project participate. Also, the 12 marker Project Price of $99 is more affordable for some participants -- enabling you to recruit more participants. Two individuals are considered related for the 12 marker test if they match at 10, 11 or 12 of the markers; an upgrade to the 25 marker test is then recommended to verify the match. The upgrade cost an additional $90 and is done from the original test kit contents.
The 25 marker test provides more accuracy in determining whether you are related to another project participant. We have seen participants who showed 10 of 12 markers common at the 12-marker level, but showed 23 of 25 markers common with the 25 marker test. These participants might have concluded that they were not related if they had not done the 25 marker test from the outset. Another advantage of the 25 marker test is that it provides a more accurate estimate of the Most Recent Common Ancestor, or MRCA, for two project participants.
The final consideration is the time it takes to get results. As you will see below, it takes about four weeks to get 12 marker results back after Family Tree DNA receives a test kit. If you find that you want to upgade to 25 markers, you will have to wait another four weeks for the remaining 13 results. If you start with the 25 marker test, you get all results in about five weeks.
Click here for definitions of the terms you see in the previous paragraphs and do not understand.
4. Testing Times and Results
Typical times between receiving kits and the availability of lab results for various tests are:
12 Marker Y-DNA - 4 weeks
25 Marker Y-DNA - 5 weeks
12 to 25 Marker Y-DNA Upgrade - 4 Weeks (after 12 marker results are back)
Your results will be posted on your own personal web pages at Family Tree DNA. You will use a kit number and passcode to see the results. You will also get printed results in the mail.
5. Recruiting Participants
You can help us recruit more project participants by including a brief family history of your ancestors when you complete the test kit order form. We will include this information in the testing results if you give us permission to do so.
You can also help us recruit new participants by sending e-mails to specific individuals who have Jordan male relatives. Develop a list of potential participants to whom you will send an email/letter. Start with those with whom you have had contact within the past regarding your family history research. Don't eliminate the females -- they may have a brother,, father or uncle who they could ask to participate. Asking for help finding a genetic representative for their family is one approach that often works well.
You can find additional potential participants by searching the Internet. One site that is useful is www.google.com .Online telephone books are also useful.
6. Getting the Word Out
Be sure to notify the genealogy association regarding the project. Send them a brief explanation of the project that they can post on a web site or put in a newsletter.
Post news about your project or results to any appropriate mailing list and posting site.
7. Stake a Claim with Results Posted on This Website
Posting your results on this website is another good way to recruit new project participants. Your identity is protected, but your results will be there for you to reference in e-mails or postings on other sites. Providing your ancestery information to the project adminstrators so they can include it in the results table allows other potential participants to see how their results could prove or disprove a connection to that family line.
8. Extra, Extra - read all about it
We can post news information on this site when you find a connection between two or more family lines. Click here to see the news section of this site.
9. Pricing and Ordering Test Kits
We recommend the Y-DNA25: 25 Markers Test
If you want to participate in the Jordan Surname Project testing, send a note to Bob at: jorbob@msn.com or Norman Jordan at: njordan1@maine.rr.com and include the following information on the test kit order form: Name, Address, Phone, E-mail, Which test (12, 25 or 37 marker).
Click here to get a copy of the DNA test kit order form to send to Bob or Norman.
You will receive a test kit in the mail and an invoice for the test. The test is simple and painless. You use cotton swabs to collect the samples from inside your mouth. You DO NOT provide blood samples for this test. Click here for more details about the testing.
10. More Questions
We provide a section of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with answers to help you make decisions about the project and to get the best results. Click here to go to the FAQ section and click on your question to see the answer.
If all else fails, contact Bennett Greenspan at Family Tree DNA. His e-mail address is: info@familytreedna.com or go to the Family Tree DNA website at: http://www.familytreedna.com/
