In the summer of 2006, the Pilgrim Edward Doty Society established a Y-DNA testing program through Family Tree DNA, the largest, and in our judgment, the premier company in the field of DNA testing for genealogical purposes.  Our objectives in establishing the program were:
(1) to provide a reliable database of likely DNA signatures of the Pilgrim Edward Doty and his sons against which anyone could confidently compare their DNA signature,
(2) to provide a facility that would help us identify different branches of the Doty family, and
(3) to increase our chances of discovering the true origins of our Pilgrim Ancestor.

In an effort to become more efficient, we have decided to combine the testing part of our program with the testing part of the program of the Doty Doughty Family, also done through Family Tree DNA.  This combination will give us a broader database of results than we have had in the past.

Looking ahead, we will continue to promote the benefits of Y-DNA testing for those interested in proving their relationship with the Pilgrim Edward Doty, and we will continue to report on the results of these tests.  The pages currently available are:

Y-DNA Test Results,

Lineage,
Y-DNA Primer, and
Our Deep Ancestral Roots.

If you are a male with the surname of Doty or one of its variants, or if you are a male with a surname other than Doty but believe that you may have a direct male line back to Doty roots, we would encourage you to submit a sample of your DNA to Family Tree DNA through the Doty Doughty project. If you are a female and have a close male relative (brother, father, cousin or uncle) with the surname of Doty or one of its variants, we would urge you to ask your close relative to submit a sample of his DNA for testing. By having your DNA or that of a close male relative tested and included in our database, you can learn a good deal about your likely paternal heritage, you can help others learn about theirs, and you can help all of us learn a great deal more than we currently know about the Pilgrim Edward Doty.

To Participate in our Doty Y-DNA Project:

• Go to the Doty Doughty project on the Family Tree DNA Website.

• Scroll down the page until you come to the list of tests from which you may select.  We strongly recommend that you select the Y-DNA 37 test.

• Click on "Order Now".   That’s all there is to it. You will receive a test kit in the mail within a few days.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Genealogical DNA testing is a fairly new, but rapidly growing technology.  Below are several links that may help in understanding.

The FTDNA website includes a lot of useful information, including:
     Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
     Inheritance Chart explaining the difference between Y-DNA and mtDNA testing

The DNA Heritage website has many tutorial pages, varying from readable to very technical.  Here is a sample:
     Y-DNA
     Y-DNA Tutorial (4 pages long)
     Glossary
     Technical (6 pages, which describe mutations, haplogroups and migration, etc.)

•     "Deep Ancestry, Inside the Genographic Project" and "The Journey of Man - A Genetic Odyssey" both by Dr. Spencer Wells. 
   
•     "Before the Dawn, Recovering the Lost History of our Ancestors" by Nicholas Wade.
   
•     The National Geographic Society's Genographic Project website