DNA testing for genealogical purposes has become very popular in the last seven years, and almost two dozen companies have sprung up offering DNA testing at relatively affordable prices to the general public. In addition, there is a non-profit research organization that offers free DNA tests with some strings attached.
The main emphasis has been on surname projects. Men who share the same last name or some variation of it are recruited to take a DNA test, and then results are compared to discover which of them are related within a genealogical time frame, which generally means within the past 600 to 1000 years. In Europe, permanent surnames gradually came into general use between 1000 AD and 1800 AD. By joining a surname DNA project, people interested in family history with matching DNA can compare notes and make connections, perhaps enabling them to trace back several generations further than they could without DNA comparisons. Also, DNA analysis can reveal the general region where the ancestor of the participant originated; ie, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, the British Isles, etc.
As of May 2008, we have almost 270 participants in the Phillips Worldwide DNA Project. Using DNA analysis, we have identified 34 Phillips families that do not appear to be related to each other within a genealogically significant time frame. This means these Phillips families probably are not related to each other since the advent of permanent surnames. In addition, we have over 70 men named Phillips or some variation of the name Phillips whose DNA does not match anyone else in the Phillips Worldwide DNA Project to date, although most of them will very likely find matches as more participants join our project.
What do all the mismatches mean? In the most simple terms, this means not everyone named Phillips (or some variation of Phillips) is related in a genealogically significant time frame. In other words, there is no such thing as a composite Phillips DNA profile and we do not all descend from a single Phillips family. This also most likely means more than 100 unrelated men adopted the last name Phillips from 1000 AD to 1800 AD. When all is said and done, we will doubtlessly discover there were several hundred (perhaps thousand) unrelated men who adopted the last name Phillips (or some variation of Phillips) from 1000 AD through 1800 AD and who have descendants living worldwide today. A certain percentage of the mismatches may also be due to adoption, illegitimacy or some other form of name change, known as a non-paternal event.
There are several different types of DNA tests currently available at most of the commercial labs: yDNA tests, mtDNA tests and autosomal DNA tests. Only men can take a yDNA test, because yDNA is located on the Y chromosome, and only men have a Y chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes that determine their sex. Men have one X and one Y chromosome that determine their sex. The yDNA test for men is the only truly effective DNA test for genealogical purposes at the current time for the following reasons.
Y-DNA is passed down from father to son over the generations with only a few changes or mutations. Since men usually pass down their surnames to their sons from generation to generation, this means yDNA is passed down hand in hand with the surname. The Y chromosome follows a well-defined path down the straight paternal line, which conveniently also tracks the surname in many cultures. It is this happy coincidence that explains the usefulness and popularity of these new surname DNA studies.
Both men and women have mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is DNA that is inherited from the mother. Just as yDNA tracks the straight paternal line, mtDNA tracks the straight maternal line. However, mtDNA is much less useful genealogically than yDNA for several reasons. First, in western cultures, women do not traditionally retain the same surname from generation to generation, which means mtDNA cannot be tied to one specific surname. Second, mtDNA is far more stable than yDNA. Your mtDNA is pretty much exactly the same as the mtDNA found in your straight line maternal ancestor who existed 10,000 years ago. Therefore, about the only thing you can learn from your mtDNA is which clan your straight line maternal ancestor belonged to 10,000 years ago! While this might be an interesting thing to know, it is not very useful from a genealogical standpoint.
There is another concept that is important to understand. Your yDNA and mtDNA are only a very small part of your total DNA. If you imagine a standard fan-shaped pedigree chart for a man, your yDNA tracks the top line on that standard fan-shaped pedigree chart, and your mtDNA tracks the bottom line on that standard fan-shaped pedigree chart. If you trace back five generations, you will discover that you have sixteen great-great-grandparents. Barring the marriage of cousins (which was actually a very common practice in the past), this means the yDNA that comes from your great-great paternal grandfather only represents 1/16th of your total DNA and the mtDNA that comes from your great-great maternal grandmother only represents another 1/16th of your total DNA. The further back you go, the smaller the percentages become. DNA analysis is still in its infancy, and scientists have not yet figured out how to isolate and identify your other lines. They can only isolate and identify your straight paternal line and your straight maternal line, which together probably represent less than 1% of your total DNA.
There is a third type of DNA test that attempts to test your entire DNA. This third type of DNA test is called an autosomal test and it works by taking a random sample of your entire DNA. It is still very new and rudimentary and somewhat controversial, because many scientists say there isn't enough data collected yet to get accurate comparisons. However, many scientists believe this is where the next great leap forward is going to occur in DNA testing. At the current time, autosomal testing only tells you what percentage you are of the following “races”: White, Black, Oriental and Native American. If you are less than 1/8th of any of those races, the autosomal test may not detect it, because the test is a random sample of your entire DNA. Furthermore, although the autosomal test may be able to detect that you are 3/4th White and 1/4th Native American, it cannot tell you which one of your lines is the Native American line and it cannot identify your Native American tribe.
One question frequently asked is, in the absence of a paper trail, how do we determine which participants probably belong to the same family? Kinship is determined primarily by counting how many DNA markers match. Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) publishes the following rules on their website: in order to be considered related within a genealogically relevant time frame, two men who share the same last name or some variant of it must not mismatch by more than 1 marker out of the first 12 markers, or 2 markers out of the first 25 markers, or 4 markers out of the first 37 markers, or 7 markers out of the first 67 markers.
When there is a mismatching marker, it is also important to consider the magnitude of the mismatch. If the mismatch is a two step mismatch (for example, one person has a value of 12 and the other person has a value of 14 for the same marker), this usually counts as 2 mismatches. However, some markers mutate or change more frequently than others, and some markers may be susceptible to mutating by more than one step in a single generation. Occasionally a particular marker may mutate by two or more steps when it is passed from the father to the son. If this happens, it is only counted as one mismatch. There are also instances of markers that seem to mutate in step or in unison, so when they mutate it only counts as one mismatch. In other words, the markers do not all carry the same weight or importance in determining kinship. Some mismatches are less important than other mismatches.
Another criterion to take into consideration in determining kinship is something called haplogroup. Haplogroup is roughly equivalent to nationality and it is an indication of one’s deep ancestry. It has been discovered that certain haplogroups are more commonly found in certain areas than others. If your markers match or come close to matching someone who does not belong to the same haplogroup as you, then you are not related within a genealogically significant time frame. In fact, you are not related within many thousands of years.
Thus far, scientists have identified 18 main haplogroups for men. These haplogroups are identified by the following letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q and R. These main haplogroups are further subdivided into one or more levels called sub-haplogroups, which are labeled by alternating numbers and letters. For example, Haplogroup J is further broken down into J1, J2 and J*. An asterisk is used to denote those who do not fit into a defined branch. There are many sub-haplogroups, and undoubtedly not all of them have been identified yet. After all, DNA analysis is still in its infancy.
Haplogroup R is the most common haplogroup of Europe and it is divided into sub-haplogroups R1 and R2. Haplogroup R1 is further divided into sub-haplogroups R1a and R1b. Haplogroup R1a likely originated in the Eurasian Steppes, and is primarily found in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and South Asia. Scientists believe Haplogroup R1b originated prior to or during the last Great Ice Age, when it became concentrated in refuge areas in southern Europe. Haplogroup R1b is the most common haplogroup of Western Europe.
Within Haplogroup R1b, there is a certain predominant haplotype called the Atlantic Modal Haplotype (AMH). The Atlantic Modal Haplotype is defined by the following six markers:
DYS19 14
DYS388 12
DYS390 24
DYS391 11
DYS392 13
DYS393 13
If you belong to Haplogroup R1b and you have the above listed values for the above listed markers, you belong to the Atlantic Modal Haplotype. This haplotype is possibly the ancestral haplotype for Haplogroup R1b. In other words, this haplotype may have belonged to the individual who founded Haplogroup R1b thousands of years ago. According to Family Tree DNA, if you belong to the Atlantic Modal Haplotype, your ancestors experienced a dramatic population explosion over the last 10,000 years since the end of the last Great Ice Age. The AMH has obviously contributed more than its fair share in the populating of Western Europe! This observation seems to confirm the anthropological theory that only a small, select group of men in past societies enjoyed the vast majority of procreation.
You will find a brief description of the different male haplogroups identified thus far among our Phillips participants in the introductory remarks on the Results Page and Miscellaneous Page of this website. Appoximately 76% of our Phillips participants belong to Haplogroup R1b, which is the most common haplogroup in Western Europe and the British Isles. This is very similar to the percentage of men in the British Isles who belong to Haplgroup R1b. According to the book The Origins of the British by Stephen Oppenheimer, 73% of the men tested thus far in the British Isles belong to Haplgroup R1b, 16% belong to Haplogroup I, 6% belong to Haplogroup R1a, 2% belong to Haplogroup E3b and 2% belong to Haplogroup J.
Feel free to ask questions and discuss this project on the Phillips Family Forum
- Click here to place an order for a DNA test at Family Tree DNA
- Click here to contribute to the General Fund at Phillips Worldwide DNA Project
- Click here to access the European branch of Family Tree DNA
Participating in a Surname DNA Project provides:
- A report on the participant's genetic DNA, which is very close (and sometimes identical) to the earliest known paternal ancestor
- A classification of the participant's "deep" ancestry, which gives insight into the prehistoric origins of your surname ancestors
- A sense of camaraderie with all who participate in the Family Project, which is particularly strong for those who share a genetic ancestry
- Stimulation to family research and sharing of information
- A wider sense of identity and relationship, as we begin to realize how much we are a World Family.
- A chance to compare your genetic ancestry with those of the Surname and the Variant Spellings
- Locates the genetic matches that do not share your common surname, possibly pointing to a non-paternal event such as adoption
ONLY THOSE PARTICIPANTS WITH DNA MATCHES IN THE PROJECT ARE LISTED ON THIS PAGE
CLICK ON SINGLES RESULTS TAB ABOVE TO VIEW DNA RESULTS OF UNMATCHED PARTICIPANTS
Explanation of the columns in the Table below:
Column 1: Kit or ID Number of Participant
Column 2: Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA) of Participant
Column 3: Male Y-DNA Haplogroups (see descriptions below)
Remaining
Columns: DNA Test Results showing 12 Marker Test, 25 Marker Test, 37 Marker Test, and 67 Marker Test.
At the top of the chart, alleles (commonly called markers) are shown as a series of numbers in black and red.
These particular alleles or markers are located on the Y-chromosome, which is only found in men.
Markers shown in red indicate markers that mutate or change more frequently than usual.
Markers shown in black indicate more stable markers that mutate or change less often.
A yellow background indicates that the Participant’s marker differs from the predominant or "modal" value for the Family Group.
Modal values are the most common values found in the Participants tested thus far, not necessarily the "ancestral" value.
A value of "0" underlined and in blue indicates the lab reported a null value or no results thus far for that marker.
Haplogroups are roughly equivalent to nationality and are an indication of one’s deep ancestry.
Y-DNA Haplogroup R1a and its subgroups are predominantly found in eastern Europe and in western and central India and Asia.
Y-DNA Haplogroup R1b and its subgroups are predominantly found in western Europe and the British Isles. It is the most common haplogroup in Europe and the Americas due to European emigration.
Y-DNA Haplogroup I and its subgroups are considered to be Nordic, predominantly found in Scandinavia. One subgroup extends down into central Europe.
Y-DNA Haplogroup N is predominantly found in northeastern Europe and especially in Finland.
Y-DNA Haplogroup E (undifferentiated) originates in Africa and is restricted to African populations.
Y-DNA Haplogroup E1b1a (formerly E3a) is mostly restricted to subSahara Africa and is mainly associated with African populations.
Y-DNA Haplogroup E1b1b (formerly E3b) is Mediterranean and is found in East Africa, North Africa, Spain, Sicily and the Balkans.
Y-DNA Haplogroup J1 appears at high frequencies among populations of the Middle East, North Africa and Ethiopia.
Y-DNA Haplogroup J2 is found frequently in Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and the Caucasus region.
Y-DNA Haplogroup G has an overall low frequency but is found in Old World Europe, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and Asia.
Y-DNA Haplogroup Q is found in Asian as well as Native American populations. It is also sometimes found in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
Y-DNA Haplogroup Q3 is the only haplogroup strictly associated with male Native Americans
Haplogroups shown in green after the name of the Participant’s EKA have been confirmed with DNA tests, either a Backbone test or a Deep Clade (SNP) test.
Haplogroups shown in purple after the name of the Participant’s EKA have not been tested but have been predicted based on unambiguous results in the Participant’s DNA.
Haplogroups shown in black inside parentheses indicate the Participant’s haplogroup is predicted with less confidence. Backbone or Deep Clade (SNP) testing is recommended.
The Family Groups shown below have been established through yDNA analysis.
Y-DNA indicates the Phillips lines of these different Family Groups are not related to each other within a genealogically significant time frame.
In other words, the Phillips lines of these different Family Groups are probably not related since the advent of surnames 600 to 1,000 years ago.
Due to the success of our Project, the yDNA results for both Matched and Unmatched Participants are too large to be posted all on one page.
Therefore, we have posted the yDNA results of our Unmatched Participants on our Singles Results Page.
Please click on the Singles Results tab above to review the yDNA results of our Unmatched Participants who have no matches thus far in our Project.
If a new Participant joins our Project who matches someone in the Unmatched Participants, we will form a new Family Group and move them to this page.
It requires hours of volunteer effort to update the DNA charts on this website, so we will only update these charts twice a month, around the first and the middle of the month.
Click here to view a DNA chart that is updated automatically on a 24/7 basis for all Participants who have been tested by FTDNA.
