The Principle:
Y-chromosome (Ycs) markers are inherited from father to son and remain mostly unaltered from generation to generation. This property makes the Ycs an ideal focus for genealogical studies, because, barring adoption or illegitimacy, the route of the Ycs through time in a pedigree exactly parallels the surname in many western cultures. The Ycs is widely used in establishing relationships among individuals sharing the same or similar last names. By determining a Ycs fingerprint, or haplotype, of several related male individuals we can create a Ycs haplotype that is inherited with a specific surname. This information can be used for further genealogical pursuits by allowing males with the same or similar last name to compare Ycs haplotypes and determine descent from a common paternal ancestor.

Methods:
Samples were screened for 24 Y-chromosomal loci. Genetic analysis was conducted using PCR with the resulting DNA fragments analyzed on an ABI 3700 genetic analyzer using established protocols. A summary of genetic results are reported in Table A. Data generated by ABI Genetic Analyzers was evaluated using 3700 Data Collection Software v.1.2 (Applied Biosystems, 1999). Internal consistency of allele size standard was verified according to GeneScan 37000 Analysis Software v.3.7 (Applied Biosystems, 1989-2000). Allele calling was performed by Genotyper Software v.2.5 (Perkin-Elmer Corp., 1993-1998). Allele sizes were CEPH calibrated.