 |
Cameron DNA Project |
 |
|
Cameron DNA Project |
|
The Clan Cameron Association
of North America is coordinating
|
||||||||||||
Objectives will obviously vary by individuals and include several of those listed above. They may also change over the life of your search. Most Surname Projects start with the desire to identify others who are related and, through the Project, additional objectives are achieved simply as a result of having taken part in it.
The Y chromosome is passed from father to son unchanged, except for a mutation about every 500 generations. Testing the Y-Chromosome will provide a genetic fingerprint consisting of 12 or 25 numbers (aka “markers”). By comparing this fingerprint to others with the same surname, one can determine if the two parties are related.
[Note: Women carry the X-Chromosome not the male Y so, while there are studies of the X-Chromosomes done for other reasons, they are more expensive, extensive and do not follow the name line, which establishes and proves the surname. That doesn’t mean there are not ways for you to take advantage of DNA searches, however, so read on!]
After researching several companies, the Regional Presidents of Clan Cameron North America chose Family Tree DNA of Houston, Texas as the Company we recommend to all Camerons - regardless of their location - who want to embark on finding their common ancestors in this manner. We also chose Family Tree DNA for the Clan Cameron testing source because they are most reputable and largest of similar testing agencies.
The Family Tree DNA company has been in business since 2000 and currently has over one thousand surname projects to its credit. Their website is very informative and simple to use and one can follow the progress of his surname project by simply logging on to their site.
Once you enter into the study and pay for your test, you will be mailed a packet containing sanitary, plastic, sampling scrapers to use on the inside of your cheek to be used once (or twice). After completing this, the scrapers are to be mailed back to Family Tree DNA (not to Clan Cameron). Your order information allows the company to contact you if an exact genetic match is found (provided you have signed the Release Form). Note that this Release Form requires a physical address and an email address.
Your unique locator number will accompany your DNA collection tube to the testing lab. The computer-generated number and your surname is the only information about you that the testing facility will see. Once your test has been completed, the results of the Y-DNA MtDNA will be entered into a secure database. A comparison between your specific genetic markers and those in the database will then be performed.
If a genetic match is found between you and another person when you both (you and a theoretical relative) have ordered, paid for and submitted both samples, you will be informed via email. If a genetic match is found between you and another individual who enters the library at some future time, both of you will be given the information that a potential match is in the database, provided BOTH of you have signed the Release Form. Only if both parties agree will contact information concerning the separate parties be made available to the other party. In this way, all persons in the database will have the right to decide if they want to contact their probable genetic match(es).
Only Family Tree DNA will have the ability
to cross-reference your unique test kit number with the personal information you
provided in order to determine the names and contact information of family
match(es). Privacy and
confidentiality are assured and strictly maintained by the company.
(Also see Legal Issues/Concerns below)
It is the Company’s recommendation that participants first enter into the Project with the 12 marker Y-Chromosome test. Twelve markers are sufficient to determine whether or not two people are related. (This test costs $99.) Since this is more affordable for most people it has the advantage of encouraging more participants, which simply opens more doors, genetically speaking, for everyone.
The value of the 25 marker test occurs when two participants are related based upon the 12 marker test. Once a 12 marker match is established, the test can be upgraded to 25 markers for a small additional price of $90. The result is to reduce the timeframe of the most recent common ancestor. If two people match on the 12 marker test at either 12/12 or 11/12, the 25 marker test is always recommended because there is little chance the two are not strongly related.
The best time to embark on a 12 marker test is when one has had contact with one or more people where a family surname relation is thought to exist. Getting two of these relations involved in testing jumpstarts the Project, and others can then begin to be recruited.
This Project is international in scope. *Since
we know we have relatives in Australia,
Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and many other countries around the world, this is not simply a North
American surname project. Camerons
have immigrated for centuries from Scotland to many lands and this makes finding one’s common ancestors even more
challenging.
Family Tree DNA follows the most stringent
guidelines for privacy and controls of the Surnames Database Library and test
scores, while the University
of Arizona controls and maintains your genetic assets on their behalf.
Therefore, there is a double safety net.
All test results are maintained by FT DNA according to State legislation
guidelines and the other is maintained by the University
of
Family Tree DNA accepts all major credit cards, which makes payment possible from anyplace in the world over their Verisign secure server, so using a credit card is assured safe.)
Please make your payment directly to Family Tree DNA and not to Clan Cameron.