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The past decade has witnessed the development of genetic genealogy, that is, the use of DNA for studying family relationships. This involves the Y-chromosome which is handed down virtually unchanged from father to son over the generations much as the family name is handed down in western cultures. Studying the transmission of the Y-chromosome is therefore equivalent to studying the transmission of a surname. So, only male Fitzpatricks can be tested for this study which involves swiping the inside of your cheek with a cotton swab. It is not necessary to give blood to participate. The Fitzpatrick DNA study began in 2000 and was one of the first organised through Relative Genetics in Salt Lake City. It now includes about 100 Fitzpatricks from the U.S., Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, Canada and France. Besides Fitzpatrick, the study includes the surnames Patrick, Moore, Shera, McShera, Stanley, and Gray, all with reasons to believe they have historical ties to the Fitzpatrick Clan. This study is so successful it has become the envy of genetic genealogists worldwide. The results of the Fitzpatrick study have revealed much about clan history that could not be derived from written material. A very interesting aspect is that about half of the group have been identified as descendents of the House of Ossory. Of these, roughly 50% have a set of unique mutations found nowhere else in Europe. Many of these Fitzpatricks still live in Upper Ossory, in modern day County Laois, and presumably descend from either Bryan, Lord and First Baron of Upper Ossory, or a male member of his family. The other half of the Ossory descendents do not have these mutations, and none live in Ossory today. This DNA evidence implies not only a genetic split, but also a social split in the clan hundreds if not a thousand years ago. Simply stated, a son who was born with the mutations inherited the family land and remained in Ossory, while another son who did not have the mutations did not inherit the land and moved away. Our DNA results also confirm our tie to other clans and validate our written history. For example, the results of the DNA study of Clan Dalton fit in nicely with the Ossorians Fitzpatrick DNA results, confirming the historical fact that the Dalton Clan arose from the Fitzpatricks. The remaining 50% of the Fitzpatrick study members fall into small groups of twos and threes unrelated to the Ossorians. These Fitzpatricks form a 'genetic spaghetti' that is still compatible with the basic DNA profile found in Ireland, but that does not indicate a relationship to the Ossorians. There are many interesting facts we can learn from this spaghetti. Four Fitzpatricks from Co Clare exhibit extemely different DNA compared to the rest of the group. Two explanations for this are that either these Fitzpatricks descend from a survivor of the wreck of the Spanish Armada of the coast of Co. Clare in 1588, or else their ancestor was a Viking who left a genetic souvenir during a pit stop in the area. At least one Fitzpatrick with ancestry on the north east coast near Drogheda has matched a Logan of Scottish ancestry. There are also two Fitzpatricks who have solid paper genealogies linking them to the Ossorian line, but whose DNA is very different from anyone else in the study. This discrepancy indicates non-paternity events somewhere in their common family line. These results have helped researched to identify clusters where future research might prove fruitful while at the same time identifying directions that might be ignored. The Fitzpatrick DNA study coordinator is Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick PhD, author of Forensic Genealogy and co-author of DNA & Genealogy. Colleen is actively recruiting new participants for the study. If you would like to participate in any of these studies you are invited to contact her at cfitzp@aol.com and you can visit her website at http://www.forensicgenealogy.info/ July 2007
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