Cotton/Cotten DNA Project

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Cotton DNA project is to create a database which will enable us to identify the various families bearing the Cotton or Cotten surname. The results may make it possible to tell which families are connected in the male line, and as the database grows, to differentiate between branches within each family. While not a substitute for traditional paper genealogy, genetic testing can often lead the way in getting past "brick walls" by suggesting a direction for the paper research to take. Also while DNA results cannot prove the paper trail, they can help to back up that research, and a negative result can certainly disprove many incorrect assumptions.

METHOD

The chromosomes in the nucleus of a human cell are grouped in 23 pairs. In a female, the 23rd pair is composed of two X chromosomes, and in a male of one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. When sperm or egg cells are produced, the chromosome pairs separate and each egg or sperm cell receive only one half of the pair. So for about half of all sperm cells, the final chromosome is a Y. At the time of fertilization, the individual chromosomes from the sperm and egg pair up again. However, because of the differences between the X and the Y chromosomes, they are able to swap almost no DNA with each other. So any sons that a man fathers will inherit a nearly identical Y chromosome. Because of this fortunate coincidence of biology (the passing of the Y chromosome from father to son) and cultural tradition (the passing of surnames in the same manner), these DNA tests can have significant value in genealogical research.

The Y chromosome tests that are used examine sequences of DNA known as STR's (Short Tandem Repeats). These STR's are composed of about two to five base pairs which are repeated numerous times. Because of occasional mutations, the number of repeats can sometimes change. These mutations, known as polymorphisms, are passed along from father to son. By comparing the number of repeats in each of the markers tested, it is possible to tell if the men being tested come from the same recent male line.

PARTICIPATION

Any males with the Cotton or Cotten surname or who believe that they are direct male line descendants of a Cotton male are welcome to participate. We also welcome any other possible spelling variations (Coton, Cottin, Cottone, etc.). Women are obviously not able to participate directly, but they can play an important part in the research by recruiting or sponsoring a brother, father, uncle, etc. There are currently over 80 men who have been tested or are in the process of testing. If you are interested in joining the project, you may do so by contacting Ross Cotton or Michael Cotten. The test is easy and painless, simply rub a swab over the inside of the cheek and mail the kit back to the testing company in a preaddressed envelope.

List of participants -

FAMILY 1

(Anonymous) Cotton (Ray Shelton)

FAMILY 2

Darrell Gerald Richmond Cotton

Ian Sidney Cotton

Richard G. H. Cotton

FAMILY 3

David Allen Lambert

Meredith Leonard Cotton

Ross Gilbert Hamilton Cotton

Sir Thomas Robert Wellington Stapleton-Cotton

William Raymond Cotton

FAMILY 4

Allan Douglas Cotton

Brian Cotton

David Lee Cotton

Doyle Mark Cotton

Hikaru Kitabayashi

Michael John Cotton (1)

Michael John Cotton (2)

Ronald Kenneth Cotton

Terrence Richard Cotton

William Jennings Cotten

William Melvin Cotton

(Anonymous) Cotton

FAMILY 5

Richard E. Cotton

FAMILY 6

Michael Leigh Cotton

FAMILY 7

David Marshall Cotton

David Michael Cotten

Gregory Perry Cotten

Jack Russell Cotton (Pamela Sherry)

James Murray Cotten

Jerry Wayne Cotton

Joel Brian Cotton

Ralph Alton Cotton

Robert Gene Cotton

Ryan K.

Thomas Wayne Cotton

(Anonymous) Cotten

(Anonymous) Cotton (Stephane Crow)

FAMILY 8

William Gene Cotton

FAMILY 9

(Anonymous) Cotten (Gerry Dickens)

FAMILY 10

Steve Lawrence Cotton

FAMILY 11

Andre Omer Cotton

Barry Arthur Cotton

Charles Edgar Cotton III

James Zina Cotton

Lee Hubert Cotton

Sheldon Eugene Cotton

Thomas Earl Cotton

FAMILY 12

William Fenwick Cotton

(Anonymous) Cotton

FAMILY 13

Marion Sherman Cotton

Michael Dale Cotton

Richard Roy Cotton

FAMILY 14

Joseph Bruce Cotton

Tom William Cotton

Verne Alban Cotton

Wayne Leroy Cotton

William Tucker Cotton

FAMILY 15

Eric Cotton

Robert David John Cotton

FAMILY 16

Peter Daniel Cotton

FAMILY 17
Frank Albert Cotton

FAMILY 18

Barry Percy Carrington Cotton

Frederick Peter Cotton

John Nicholas Cotton

Leslie Stanley George Cotton

Michael Raymond Cotton

Stanley George Cotton

FAMILY 19

Claud Cecil Cotton

FAMILY 20

Lynwood Irvin Cotton

FAMILY 21

Robert Randolph Cotten III

FAMILY 22

Daniel Luzern Cotton

Frankie LaVern Cotten Jr.

Roger James Cotton

Simon FitzSimon Cotton

Jason Lee Cotton

James Braxton Cotton

Lee Cotton

Jacques Edward James Cotton

Joseph Albert Cotton

Joseph Neree Leonard Cotton

FAMILY 27

Walter Bradley Cotton

FAMILY 28

Steven Ray Cotton

FAMILY 29

Edward Bernard Cotton

FAMILY 30

David Frank Cotton

FAMILY 31

David James Thompson Cotton

FAMILY 32

James Sutherland Cotton

RESULTS

The participants are grouped together in family units determined by the test results. Values in the pink cells are the reconstructed ancestral haplotype for the family as far as can be determined at present. The values for individuals are in blue (when matching the ancestral haplotype), yellow (when not matching, probably representing a mutation), and green (when no ancestral haplotype has been determined). Cells are left gray for those markers which have not been tested for the individual. This is because participants have been tested by several different companies which do not test all of the same markers and also because there are several different tests available from each company.

Comments on a few markers -

*DYS 389II - This marker is actually an extension of marker 389I. Because of this, a mutation in the first marker will affect the value for the second, making it appear that there has been more than one mutation. To avoid confusion, the values given in the chart for 389II are actually the value for 389II minus 389I.

*DYS 394 - Also known as DYS19

*DYS 439 - Due to a rare type of mutation known as an SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) which occurs just before this marker in one of the tested families, the testing method used by Family Tree DNA will yield no value for this marker. The company usually assigns a value of 12 at this point but this is somewhat arbitrary so the value is shown as "n" for null on the project chart.

*DYS 442 - Because of different methods of measuring this marker, the value as reported by Relative Genetics is always 5 greater than that reported by Family Tree DNA. To facilitate comparison, the Relative Genetics values have been adjusted to match the standards of FTDNA.

*GATA-H4 - This marker is designated as GATA-H4.1 by Relative Genetics and is reported with a value 11 higher than by FTDNA. The values in our chart have been adjusted to fit the FTDNA conventions.

HAPLOGROUPS

Anthropologists have categorized human Y-DNA into a number of distinct major divisions called haplogroups which they have designated with the letters A through R. Each of these groups has a number of identified subclades and together form a sort of family tree of the human race. As the field of population genetics continues to grow and more men are tested, these results should be able to determine the origin of various haplogroups. Individuals will be able to know what nation, tribe or clan their direct male line came from, e.g. someone of British origin can determine if their ancestor was Briton, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman, Scot, etc.

Though haplogroups can only be proven with SNP testing, it is possible to predict the group by comparing STR results. The project haplogroup page attempts to categorize our participant families based on the information we have at present.