Poindexter DNA Project

Genetic Genealogy

Why Genetic Genealogy?

DNA tests can help you find family you didn't know, break through brick walls when paper records are scarce, and help trace your lineage through time. The use of DNA testing can help the family history researcher and organizations like the PDA by providing hints to someone's genealogy. In many cases, it can show that you are indeed descended from the family tree.

The PDA hosts a DNA Project group at FamilyTreeDNA.com. If you test with ftDNA, you can join our group when you log in online to your ftDNA account. By doing so, you enable our group administrator(s) to review your test results and consult with you about your matches to other people. Matches result from the ftDNA computers figuting out who you are related to from their very large database of test subjects.

Paternal Ancestry with the Y-DNA kit (Male-specific test)

This test is for men named Poingdestre, Poindexter, Pendexter, Puddester and other spelling variations, or for men who believe they might be a direct Y descendant of someone by that name but somewhere along the line the surname was changed.

The Y chomosome is passed from father to son to grandson, and so on, typically following the paternal surname. This was our intial focus when we started working with DNA and have found very interesting revelations. With it, we have confirmed the paper trail for some, for other's we have helped suggest where to look for the paper trail, and in a few cases, welcomed men to the group that didn't know they were directly descended from our family tree.

Who can benefit from the Y-DNA test? Men whose biological father, grandfather, great grandfather, and so on, may have been a Poindexter.

If you buy a Y-DNA test kit from FamilyTreeDNA, please order at minimum the Y-111 test. The Big Y test would be even better, but at an additional cost.

Family Ancestry with the FamilyFiner DNA kit (male or female test)

Our Project administrator is learning more about interpreting match results from the autosomal (FamilyFinder) test. Men and women can order this test kit. The Family Finder test may help you find others that may be related to you within several generations:.

• Get a percentage breakdown of your origins and view where each DNA segment comes from
• Connect with your autosomal DNA relatives within the last 5 generations
• Learn if you have a connection with ancient European groups
• Compare matching segments of DNA (blocks) with your genetic matches

Maternal Ancestry with the mtDNA test (male or female test)

Explore your heritage on your maternal line and find others that match with your mtDNA. Mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA) is the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria. The mitochondria are organelles found in cells that are the sites of energy production. The mitochondria, and thus mitochondrial DNA, are passed from mother to offspring.

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