Dave Richards - Project Administrator & Line Leader [richardj AT gmail.com]
Dave Woody - Project
Line Leader [woodydna AT live.com]
Don Woody - Project Line Leader [donw88dy AT gmail.com]
Revised Oct 8, 2017
Woody DNA Project
(Including Wooddy, Woodey, Woodie, Woode, deWoody, etc.)
Created: June, 2007
The server for this site is generously supplied by:
The computer, the internet and the
world wide web have revolutionized genealogy and family
history research. These inventions provide tools that
earlier generations of researchers never even dreamed
about. The discovery of DNA and the widespread use of DNA testing and
analysis have provided the modern family historian with
yet another powerful research tool. However, the result
of any type (yDNA, mtDNA, atDNA) of individual genealogical DNA test is almost
meaningless by itself: This result must be compared with
other individual's DNA results to be useful. The Woody
DNA Project was created in June, 2007 to provide a place where
individual yDNA results and lineages can be organized, posted and
compared with other results. The easily understood
results of yDNA
testing and this project help Woody genealogists and
family historians identify and/or verify their paternal ancestry (father's
father) in a quick and easy way. This saves time,
prevents mistakes, and provides invaluable data that can
be obtained in no other way.
Click here for a detailed discussion of the benefits
and limitations of yDNA testing and analysis.
Our project line leaders provide
research assistance to novice family historians. Along the way, we have also helped several
folks extend their known lineages, some significantly. We have
focused others on the best locations to continue their
research.
1. Help researchers of all Woody families work together
to find their common heritage. We do this by posting the
abbreviated lineages that our project participants and
other Woody descendants send us. This feature links yDNA
results to specific lineages and is an integral part of
our project. In our opinion, a DNA project that does not
include such a feature provides very little research
value. To
view these lineages, click on the Patriarchs link above.
We do not post any information about people born less
than 100 years ago. To add your lineage to these pedigrees, just
email a Project Administrator your abbreviated pedigree.
If you would like your name and/or your email to be
displayed, please tell us. You do
not have to be
a DNA test participant to add your family pedigree.
2.
Identify the DNA of the ancestor families and compile
them and their branches into distinct genetic
lineages through DNA analysis and matches. DNA analysis
is used to
determine the common
ancestors of different branches of related Woody branches. This
analysis is also useful
in
extending Woody lines
that have reached a "dead end" utilizing conventional research.
Unless a participant
asks to be identified, the Woody DNA Project does not post the
name of any member; only their yDNA results and the patriarch
of their line. The different lines are grouped by patriarch. Click on the Results
link above to see our progress.
Project Successes - DNA analysis has shown that:
1. Our Woody
men make up at least four completely unrelated lineages (families
with separate ancestors). Three of these lines have deep
ancestral roots in Western Europe; the other in Scandinavia.
The yDNA portion of our project is open to any
male Woody or man believing that he is the son of a Woody male.
yDNA is passed from father to son, but not from father to daughter. So any line that includes a female link cannot be proven
or disproven using yDNA. Female Woody descendants can help by
strongly encouraging their male Woody relatives to join the project. To-date, all of the
project participants have come from the USA, but we hope
that Woodys from all over the world will join us.
Click
here
to join the Woody DNA Project and order a DNA
test.
Don Woody -
Project Line Leader [donw88dy
AT gmail.com]
Revised Oct 8, 2017
Since the Woody DNA Project was
initiated, autosomal DNA (atDNA) testing and analysis
techniques have been improved considerably and the price
of these products has decreased sharply. Also, since
atDNA is inherited about equally from both male
and female ancestors, these tests can be utilized by
both females and males. Autosomal DNA testing and
processing automatically and accurately identifies the
matches of numerous relatives found in the testing
company database of other atDNA participants. On the
surface, this marvelous technology seems like a great
research tool; however, for a variety of reasons related
to atDNA results analysis, very
few of the participants are able to derive any
substantial family history information from their atDNA
matches.
That is, they are unable to significantly
advance their family history or achieve their family
history goals.
One well
known and well respected atDNA analysis expert has
observed
"My
perception is that only about 1% or less of people who
have tested at Ancestry.com, 23andMe, and FTDNA's Family
Finder actively pursue contact with their matches in
those databases".
We cannot
overemphasize the difficulty usually involved in
determining any meaningful family history
information from the analysis of atDNA results.
Make no mistake: atDNA testing does not
replace yDNA testing.
yDNA testing provides
the surest and most efficient method for Woody males to
discover or confirm their Woody family ancestry. Female Woodys can benefit by encouraging a close male relative to take the
yDNA test. To find relatives that theoretically might help in solving
nearer term family history situations, both male and female Woodys,
as well as, close
relatives of Woodys can utilize an autosomal DNA
test; however, this test should be preceded by or used
in conjunction with yDNA testing.
The Goals of the Woody DNA
Project are to:
2. Virtually all of the descendants tested,
with ancestors from the Piedmont and Blue Ridge regions of Virginia, share
a common ancestor.
3. "Dead end" pedigrees
can be
connected to a known lineage. Because a lineage connection provides
a family and locality to focus on, most of these these pedigrees
have been extended, some very significantly.
The autosomal DNA portion of our project
is open to any male or female with a close Woody connection.
For those of you that are interested in your heritage, but cannot
actively participate in the project, the
Woody DNA Project
General Fund provides an alternative method of support.
The Project Administrator and Line Leaders use contributions made to this fund to share testing costs with
those individuals having limited means.
Although the Woody DNA Project accepts DNA results obtained from any
testing company, the preferred DNA testing company for the project is Family Tree DNA
(FTDNA). The
FTDNA and
WorldFamilies.net websites
both have
detailed information on DNA and DNA testing. A yDNA test ordered from FTDNA, as part
of this project, receives a substantial discount. The Woody DNA
Project has no financial interest in Family Tree DNA and the
project administrators and line leaders receive nothing but
satisfaction for their volunteer efforts. The total testing fee goes
to the testing company.
Dave Richards - Project Administrator & Line Leader [richardj AT gmail.com]
Dave Woody - Project
Line Leader [woodydna AT live.com]