Who can join?
The Ewing Y-DNA project is for direct paternal line descendants of men named Ewing or any of a large number of variants, including Ewan, Ewen, Ewin, McEwan. Women or men who may have descended from a Ewing woman will not have Ewing Y-DNA. Ewing women and maternal line descendants of Ewings are welcome to join the project, but they will need to find a male relative with the Ewing surname to submit a sample for them.
Who should not join?
We generally do not recommend that two very close relatives both be tested. Partly, this is because their results are practically certain to be identical, and any small difference they may have is not going to shed any light with respect to the larger purposes of the project. Another reason is that there is always a small chance that two men who believe themselves to be closely related will turn out not to be related, and this can create a lot of embarrassment and hard feelings. By 'very close relatives,' we mean first cousins or closer, but you should define this with your own family’s sensitivities taken into account.
What test should you order?
For most project participants, we recommend starting with the 37-marker test at $149. The less expensive 12-marker test can rule out a relationship with the Ewings we have tested, but to establish a relationship or to get interesting sub-branch information, you will need at least 37-marker data. We recommend that participants start with the 37-marker test and then, based on the results of that, discuss with the group administrator what upgrades are most likely to provide more information. Please feel free to email the project group administrator with questions about this at DavidEwing93 at gmail dot com.
How is the DNA sample collected and processed?
A collection kit will be mailed to you directly from Family Tree DNA. You will collect DNA by rubbing a swab against the inside of your cheek. (To see an amusing demonstration of how that is done, go to Dave Dorsey’s web site.) You will return the sample to Family Tree DNA for processing, which usually takes about six weeks.
How to Join
Go to our Join Page (at FamilyTreeDNA.org) and fill out the form. Choose Y-DNA37 from the “Type of Test” pull-down menu. If you have any trouble with this or have questions, email the group administrator, David Ewing, at DavidEwing93 at gmail dot com or telephone him weekends or evenings before 9 PM Mountain Time at +1.505.764.8704.
