Has anyone considered submitting DNA tests for genealogical purposes.
Ancestry is running a program (currently unavailable while being updated)
that identifies the 24 markers of a Y chromosome to see if related. The Y
chromosone is only passed from male to male ( it;'s what makes a boy baby
instead of a girl baby). It requires a DNA sample (swab from inside the
cheek). I don't know the current cost. Another family group of mine was
trying to match four different lines to see if related. Each test at that
time cost $165 (from Oxford Univ in England) to which we all contributed $.
This test showed that three of the families descended from a common ancestor
and one was a generation removed so possibly uncle and nephew, cousins, or
something like that. These tests can only be taken from a direct male line. I
know that William has a line through Joseph, and I could probably talk one of
the males from John into participation. The lines that I was thinking of
were Hiram (would show if his mother or father was the Callison), William
Jackson Callison and Isaac (would show if they descended from James and
Isabella). I don't know if the tests would be able to put all of our unknowns
into either William or John's family like, Absolum, Alexander, to confirm
Moses and James who married Isabelle Jones, William who married Marian
Chapman, etc etc etc. I don't even know if there are any male descendants
from James Jr or Robert or some of these other people or not. Obviously the
males involved would still have Callison as a surname. I think this is where
genealogy is heading and if there was ever a case of it being useful-- this
family surely fits the bill. Boy, I would love to find a male from that
Callison who was in Tippecanoe Ind in 1850 cause I just KNOW he fits into the
picture somewhere. And also for a male child of Elizabeth who was in
Missouri in 1850 with son Colbert among others. I would think that the
accuracy would be better if taken from the oldest living known ancestor to
decrease the natural mutations that occur over generations. In John Callison
line, son of John, we have a male Callison who is only 7 generations after
James and Isabella that I think would be a great candidate for our line.
There are also two early lines with adopted children that I would love to see
if these children were actually Callisons. I can probably track down a living
male from one of these lines but need to search some more for living
descendants for the other line. So, just something to think about. What does
everyone think of this new technology. Take care
Marilyn