Maxwell Surname Y-DNA Project

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Frequently Asked Questions

List of FAQs

1. How are you, the Maxwell Study administrator, going to protect my privacy?
2. How do I contact another participant on this site?
3. I have relatives who may want to take part in this project. What should I do?
4. Is there more information about DNA on the Internet?
5. Why is it that you insist on male members of the Maxwell clans?
6. Do the DYS markers contain personal information related to a person's health or inheritance of disease-related genes?
7. If my DNA Kit page (linked from the Test Results page) has an error or omission regarding my ancestors' names, dates, or migration pattern, can it be corrected?
8. If donors from the same genealogical lineage have entirely different DYS marker patterns, what could be the cause?

1. How are you, the Maxwell Study administrator, going to protect my privacy?

Please see the Privacy FAQ page. Personally identifiable information is never presented on this site unless expressly requested by the participant.

2. How do I contact another participant on this site?

Send the Project Administrator an email with the Kit number of the participant you wish to contact. I will forward your email address to that participant, who then has an option of replying to your request or not. Ideally, everyone will reply, but it is possible that the donor may want to maintain their privacy.

3. I have relatives who may want to take part in this project. What should I do?

Send your relative's name and email address to the administrator. We will take it from there. However, remember that the potential donor must be an living male Maxwell descendant. If you prefer, you may sign up for a collection kit to be sent directly from FamilyTreeDNA.com .

4. Is there more information about DNA on the Internet?

Yes, quite a bit. Just Google “genealogy dna” or “genetic genealogy”.

5. Why is it that you insist on male members of the Maxwell clans?

The Y chromosome of a man's DNA is passed unaltered from himself to his son. Also, in western cultures, the surname is also passed from father to son (children don't usually take their mother's surname). Therefore, by comparing DNA of two individuals with the same surname, you can determine whether or not they are related. If there is a close DNA match, then the two men probably share an ancester within recorded history, which could be corroborated using traditional genealogical research.

6. Do the DYS markers contain personal information related to a person's health or inheritance of disease-related genes?

No. A small strand of the Y chromosome is tested, but the portions (markers) use are inoccuous "junk" strands.

7. If my DNA Kit page (linked from the Test Results page) has an error or omission regarding my ancestors' names, dates, or migration pattern, can it be corrected?

Please contact the Project Administrator.

8. If participants from the same genealogical lineage have entirely different DYS marker patterns, what could be the cause?

It could be that a Maxwell ancestor adopted a boy from outside the family. Other causes would involve "non-paternity issues" (infidelity, step-children, etc.) And lastly, the subject participants may not actually belong in the same line because of errors in family traditions or family records.