DNA Project

The DNA Project was established on December 10, 2001, with the objective of determining which lines, or family trees, of our surnames are related to each other.

All surname variants, and any remotely possible variants, are included in the project.


Scientists have discovered that a small portion of the Y Chromosome, found only in males, is passed from father to son, virtually unchanged, except for a mutation about every 500 generations per Marker. By testing this small portion of the Y chromosome, it can be determined whether two males are related, and approximately when they had a common ancestor. The test result is a string of numbers, and contains no personal information. The application of this scientific discovery to genealogy has created a new discipline called Genetic Genealogy.

In our genealogy research, the paper trail eventually ends, still leaving the question of "who is related to whom?". DNA testing should supply the answers that we seek.

As a result of our project, we will be able to determine which Lines, or family trees, are related, and therefore descend from a common ancestor. The project will also tell us how many points of origin exist for the surnames tested. The DNA Project, combined with genealogy research, should also provide clues to help identify the location or area where the original form of the surname was adopted.

At least two direct descent males are needed to participate for each Line or family tree. A Line is all descendents who can be traced back to the most distant identified ancestor, who is also known as the founder or progenitor of the line. The two or more participants from each Line should be from distant branches of the Line. The objective of multiple participants for a Line is to validate the results for the Line, expecially if the line has many branches. The results from the participants should match.

Click on Lines in the site menu on the left to learn more about the Lines or family trees that have been identified.



Our project tests a small area of the Y chromosome of males for genealogical purposes. The test results show who is related to whom, and approximately when they had the common ancestor.

The test result is a string of numbers, and contains no personal information.

DNA Project: The Big Picture

Based on the DNA results of the 119 participants tested to date, combined with genealogy research, we can make the following statements:

** All the following are related:

    All Meates Lines with the founder in Ireland
    All Mates Lines with the founder in Ireland, except Line 15
    All Meats Lines
    Some Mate and Mates Lines whose founder is in the UK [Lines: 24, 30]
    All the Myatt family trees tested, except Line M4.

    This large group listed above all descend from a distant ancestor who took on the initial form of the surname. The earliest recording found of the surname is as Mayote in 1281. In the 1300's, Mayote and Mayot were the primary forms, and many forms of the surname evolved over time. The early recordings indicate that the surname originated in Staffordshire, most likely at the Manor of Rushton James. Click on the Info link in the site menu on the left to learn more about surnames.    (See Footnote 1 below for an exception regarding a branch of Meates Line 1)

** The surname Meates evolved in two different locations, Ireland and London. The Meates of London, Line 4, are not related to the Meates of Ireland, or anyone else tested.

** Nine(9) different Mate and Mates DNA results have been identified. One of these results is the Ireland Mates, who belong to the large group described above who match. These different Mates results indicate multiple points of origin for the surname, in multiple countries, and multiple migrations to the UK.

** A unique result for one Marker indicates that all the Ireland Meates and Mates (except Line 15) descended from one man who lived after the ancestor who adopted the initial surname. This man, or his descendent, migrated to Ireland, probably in the late 1600's.

** All Meats tested have a unique result for one Marker, indicating that all Meats are descended from one man who lived after the ancestor who adopted the initial surname. This man or his descendent migrated out of Staffordshire and the Meats form of the surname arose.

The Results

The results received from the lab are a string of 25 or 37 numbers. The numbers represent a count of proteins found at specific locations on the Y chromosome, called Markers.

On a rare occassion, a mutation may have occurred at one of the Markers. A mutation is a scientific name for change, where the Marker increased or decreased by a protein. These mutations are estimated by the scientists to occur about once every 500 generations per Marker.

When ever a mutation is found, additional participants are tested until the mutation is resolved. Resolving the mutation means that the ancestral result for the line is determined, and the person is identified where the mutation occurred, even if this event was many generations ago. This step of resolving mutations is important, to identify correctly the result for the Line, which reflects the result for the founder or progenitor of the Line.

In the chart of results below, only one result is shown for a Line when all mutations are resolved, and the ancestral result for the Line has been determined. Where there are still mutations to resolve, multiple results are shown for a Line. Due to space limitations, only 25 Marker results are shown. Contact us to receive our newsletter for the results at 37 Markers or click on the link:
37 Markers



LINE                    ----------------------------------------------Scores----------------------------------------------
Line 1 Meates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 3 Meates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 5 Meates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 7 Meates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 9 Meates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line u Meates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 11 Mates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 24 Mates   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line u Mates     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line u Mates     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15


Line 8 Meats     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 10 Meats     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 12 Meats     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 14 Meats     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line 16 Meats     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15


Line 30 Mate     12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 16 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15


Line M1 Myatt   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line M2 Myatt   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15
Line M3 Myatt   12 22 15 10 13 15 11 14 11 12 11 28 15 8 9 8 11 24 16 20 29 12 14 15 15


Line M4 Myatt   13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 14 13 30 17 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 30 15 16 17 17


Line 4 Meates   15 23 15 10 15 16 13 13 11 14 12 30 16 8 9 11 11 26 15 20 29 12 12 15 17
Line 4 Meates   15 23 15 10 15 16 13 13 11 14 12 30 16 8 9 11 11 26 15 20 30 12 12 15 17


Line 15 Mates     13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 14 13 30 16 9 10 11 11 25 15 18 30 15 15 17 17
Line 15 Mates     13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 14 13 30 17 9 10 11 11 25 15 18 30 13 13 15 17
Line 15 Mates     13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 14 13 30 16 9 10 11 11 25 15 18 30 13 15 17 17


Line 18 Mates     13 24 13 10 16 17 11 12 12 13 11 31 17 9 9 11 11 25 14 20 32 14 16 16 17 18
Line 18 Mates     13 24 13 10 16 17 11 12 12 13 11 31 17 9 9 11 11 25 14 20 32 14 15 16 17 0


Line 21 Mates     13 24 14 11 11 13 12 12 12 12 13 29 18 9 10 11 11 24 15 19 29 15 15 17 17


Line 23 Mates     13 24 15 11 12 17 11 13 12 13 11 31 18 8 10 11 12 25 15 20 30 12 12 14 15


Line 25 Mates     15 22 16 10 14 17 11 13 10 12 12 29 16 7 10 11 11 26 15 21 30 11 15 15 16


Line 27 Mates     13 23 14 10 14 14 11 14 11 12 11 28 12 8 9 8 11 23 16 20 29 12 14 15 16


Line 28 Mates     13 24 14 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 13 29 16 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 29 14 15 16 17


Line 50 Mates     13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 29 17 9 9 11 11 26 14 19 29 15 15 17 17


Line 31 Mate     16 23 15 10 15 15 11 13 11 14 12 32 16 8 10 11 11 25 14 20 27 11 14 14 15


Line 1 Grieve(1) 14 24 14 11 11 13 11 12 10 14 14 30 16 10 10 11 12 26 14 19 30 12 12 15 15


Line A1 Matte   13 25 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 14 13 30 17 9 10 11 11 25 14 19 30 14 15 16 17
Line A1 Matte   13 25 14 11 11 14 12 12 13 14 13 30 17 9 10 11 11 25 14 19 30 14 15 16 17
Line A1 Matt   13 25 14 11 11 14 12 12 13 14 13 30 17 9 10 11 11 25 14 19 30 14 15 16 17


Line Z1 Mietz   15 24 15 11 11 14 12 12 10 13 11 31 15 9 10 11 11 25 14 20 29 12 14 15 16


Line T1 Mattes   13 23 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 29 19 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 31 15 15 17 18


Line O1 Myott   13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 11 13 13 29 18 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 30 14 15 17 18

Line O2 Myott   13 23 17 10 12 12 11 13 11 13 11 28 16 8 10 11 11 25 15 21 29 10 14 14 15

-----------------------------------
(1) One branch of Line 1 Meates took on the surname Grieve in the 1900's. There were 2 sons in this branch. A descendent of the oldest son matches the Meates result, and the descendent of the younger son does not match.

Sign up to participate today !

More About DNA Testing


Our quarterly newsletter contains a Beginners Guide, for those who want to learn more about DNA Testing for genealogy.


Participate

For our project to be successful, we need at least two direct descent male participants from each line of our surnames and all possible variants. Other surnames which are phonetically close to our surnames are also invited to participate.

We are actively seeking participants, and encourage males with a direct male line of descent to participate.

Participation is easy and the test is painless. There is a nominal fee for participation to cover the lab test. Contact us for information about the lab fee. You are sent a test kit in the mail with a release form to be signed. You will use a small brush, and stroke the inside of your cheek to remove some cells. The brush is then placed in a tube, and the procedure repeated on the other side of your mouth. The test kit is then returned to the vendor. The lab will analyze the DNA and provide a result, which is a string of 25 or 37 numbers.

Your privacy is maintained since the lab only has a number and surname assigned to your sample.

In a rare case, adoption or an extra marital might be uncovered regarding your ancestors, which was unknown by you. If this occurs, you will be contacted personally by the project manager, and assistance provided if you are interested in uncovering where this event occured.

The Project Manager compares the results of all the participants and prepares a chart of these results which is published in the quarterly newsletter and on this the web site.

We are very excited about this project, and hope that you will participate. We encourage you to sign up today.

If you have any questions, or to sign up to participate, please contact us:
info@meates.accessgenealogy.com