F.A.Q.
Why did we choose the testing service Family Tree DNA? The primary reasons were it's reputation, affiliation with top notch scientists, highly effective marketing, and pricing. Dr. Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona, a leading expert in genetic research, heads up the university's laboratory and advises FTDNA. In a very short time FTDNA has attracted over 1,700 surname projects and over 32,000 participants. With size come additional benefits beyond pricing. Their research on marker mutation rates, thanks to Dr. Hammer and the large database, has greatly improved estimated time lines and probabilities relating to the likelihood of a common ancestor. Naturally the Bryson family has no financial stake in this project, we are merely using FamilyTree to provide a service.
What about privacy, the thought of having my DNA tested troubles me? Your privacy is assured because the testing facility at the University of Arizona will not have access to your name. Only your unique number will accompany your sample kit to the testing facility. The computer-generated number is the only information about you that the testing facility will see. Once your test has been completed, the results will be entered in a secure non-web-based database, and the lab will inform FamilyTree of any matches between two coded numbers. Remember too, this is not a genetic fingerprint, it is a group of markers which you share, like a surname, with your male relatives who have common ancestors. You will not be tested for diseases or genetic defects. As you will notice on our results page, we only display results in relation to Bryson ancestors. As a group we have decided not to reveal participants identities, although for the reason mentioned above, many surname projects do. See the FTDNA website for more information.
Who can take part? Only males have Y-chromosomes, so to take part you need to be a male Bryson, or find a male Bryson from your line to have tested.
What does it cost and which test should I take? Surname Project Pricing - 12 marker Y-chromosome DNA test is $99 + postage. Without the group rate the 12 marker test would cost $149 + postage. 25 marker Y-chromosome DNA test is $169 + postage. Without the group rate the 25 marker test would cost $209 + postage. Beginning in 2004, Family Tree DNA began offering a test for an additional 12 markers, bringing the total to 37. A perfect match at this level would mean that there is a 50% probability that a common ancestor was within 4 generations. This test, however, isn't necessary for most people. It might, for example, be used when two people with different surnames match at a 25 marker level, or when there is little hope of ever uncovering a conventional genealogical trail. In general we recommend a 25 marker test to verify a line. However, the "budget" 12 marker test is enough to simply determine if a genetic connection exists. This test makes sense if you sponsor a test for another line to determine if you are indeed related, or if your line has been tested and you simply want to rule out adoption in your direct line. It also makes sense if you have hit a brick wall and simply want to see if you are connected to other lines. Even if you don't match right away, as more Brysons are tested you may later. Then, if you wish, you can upgrade your test to a 25 marker test (the lab will simply test 13 more markers).
Can I help? If you are a woman you can certainly find a male from your line to sponsor and you can help spread the word among your family about the project. An uncle who might not care about genealogy per se, might be very interested to learn if his ancestors were Vikings. You can also post on our Surname Forum about your line and perhaps connect to a distant cousin. We also have a general fund for testing and you can donate as little or as much as you like to help the project. If your line has already been tested and confirmed your contributions to the fund can help to sponsor tests for Brysons and related surnames from the United Kingdom, Ireland, or France.
Can I find out more? To learn more about the science, DNA 101 explains the science and has lots of useful information and links. The Family Tree DNA website also has plenty of information. And you are welcome to weigh in on our Surname Forum where we also have links and information.
Does it make sense for African American Brysons to participate? In the area of genetic genealogy, these are exciting times for African Americans. Amateur genealogists everywhere shared the excitement when Alex Haley found his African roots. That must have seemed like an impossible dream for most African Americans, but the dream may become a reality. It may not be possible to actually find one's family and village, but it may be possible to find one's geographic area, population group, or tribe. Scientists are now identifying the genetic makeup of various African tribes. This gives African Americans a point of reference and an opportunity to discover something about their roots. Statistically, we can expect about thirty percent of male African Americans to carry Y Chromosome patterns associated with European Americans. This is because the Y Chromosome is passed on from fathers to sons, so if a European American produced a son with an African American woman, that son and all his male descendants would carry this same Y Chromosome. For African Americans, this would still be useful knowledge in terms of conventional genealogy, but it wouldn't answer the question of African roots. However, for the seventy percent who do carry an African-based Y Chromosome, there is an opportunity to explore connections to Africa. The testing service our Surname Project uses has a 12 marker test which costs $99 plus postage. This test will identify your probable Haplogroup (population group). For example, “Haplogroup B is one of the oldest Y-chromosome lineages in humans. Haplogroup B is found exclusively in Africa. This lineage was the first to disperse around Africa. There is current archaeological evidence supporting a major population expansion in Africa approximately 90-130 thousand years ago. It has been proposed that this event may have spread Haplogroup B throughout Africa.” Most of the Brysons who have been tested thus far belong to Haplogroup R1b. “It is the most common haplogroup in European populations. It is believed to have expanded throughout Europe as humans re-colonized after the last glacial maximum 10-12 thousand years ago. This lineage is also the haplogroup containing the Atlantic modal haplotype (HG1).” One Bryson group was probably Viking in origin. There is a company called African Ancestry which matches test results against a databank of African results and gives a likely connection. This service, however, costs $349. There is also an interesting non-profit project called, The South Carolina DNA Roots Project. They are trying to use DNA science to interest young African American students in science, and their project seeks to identify distinct African groups to use as genetic reference points. Should any African American Brysons take part in our surname project, we can work together to try and gain access to public information about African results to use as a comparison. For example, scientists from the Roots Project have published results in the Journal of Physical Anthropology, and according to an article: “The African-American DNA Roots Project is creating a computer databank of DNA haplotypes from the African nations where many black Americans are believed to have come from, such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Uganda, Benin, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Ivory Coast. The goal of Jackson and his colleagues is to collect thousands of profiles.” For our surname project we focus on the Y Chromosome, but for African Americans there is another DNA test which is based on female chromosomes. It is called Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which are chromosomes inherited exclusively from one's mother. This gives an insightful look at one's deep ancestry. Again this is offered by African Ancestry for $349. With our group rate this test is available from Family Tree DNA for $160. So you see there is a lot going on in genetics which offers hope to African Americans seeking to discover their roots. Beyond the question of race and African roots, the surname projects allows those who carry the Bryson name the opportunity to discover their genetic Bryson cousins. Two Brysons, regardless of ethnicity, who descended from the same male ancestor will have identical or near identical results. If, for example, three African American Brysons are tested, they will discover if they are genetically linked to each other. Moreover, they will also learn if they are related to the European American Brysons who have been tested.
What about particpants with related surnames? Y Chromosome analysis allows us to examine genetic connections which predate conventional paper trails. It seems plausible that some connections exist among surnames such as Brice, Bryce, Bryceson, Brison and Brisson. There may also be connections to less obvious surnames such as Price, Rice, and even Morrison. (Visit the forum for more on this topic.) Y Chromosome testing will take the guesswork out of this question and provide facts. We welcome anyone from these groups into the project. Also, should another surname wish to establish a more prominent and individualized web presence, they could certainly establish a separate website. We can share results and maintain distinct portals to the project, or we can create separate pages within this site and on the forum. We are flexible and willing to assist you. To email us, click here and page down to find our email address referenced for questions.
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F.A.Q.

Why did we choose the testing service Family Tree DNA? The primary reasons were it's reputation, affiliation with top notch scientists, highly effective marketing, and pricing. Dr. Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona, a leading expert in genetic research, heads up the university's laboratory and advises FTDNA. In a very short time FTDNA has attracted over 1,700 surname projects and over 32,000 participants. With size come additional benefits beyond pricing. Their research on marker mutation rates, thanks to Dr. Hammer and the large database, has greatly improved estimated time lines and probabilities relating to the likelihood of a common ancestor.

Naturally the Bryson family has no financial stake in this project, we are merely using FamilyTree to provide a service.

What about privacy, the thought of having my DNA tested troubles me? Your privacy is assured because the testing facility at the University of Arizona will not have access to your name. Only your unique number will accompany your sample kit to the testing facility. The computer-generated number is the only information about you that the testing facility will see. Once your test has been completed, the results will be entered in a secure non-web-based database, and the lab will inform FamilyTree of any matches between two coded numbers.

Remember too, this is not a genetic fingerprint, it is a group of markers which you share, like a surname, with your male relatives who have common ancestors. You will not be tested for diseases or genetic defects.

As you will notice on our results page, we only display results in relation to Bryson ancestors. As a group we have decided not to reveal participants identities, although for the reason mentioned above, many surname projects do. See the FTDNA website for more information.

Who can take part? Only males have Y-chromosomes, so to take part you need to be a male Bryson, or find a male Bryson from your line to have tested.

What does it cost and which test should I take?

Surname Project Pricing -

12 marker Y-chromosome DNA test is $99 + postage. Without the group rate the 12 marker test would cost $149 + postage.

25 marker Y-chromosome DNA test is $169 + postage. Without the group rate the 25 marker test would cost $209 + postage.

Beginning in 2004, Family Tree DNA began offering a test for an additional 12 markers, bringing the total to 37. A perfect match at this level would mean that there is a 50% probability that a common ancestor was within 4 generations. This test, however, isn't necessary for most people. It might, for example, be used when two people with different surnames match at a 25 marker level, or when there is little hope of ever uncovering a conventional genealogical trail.

In general we recommend a 25 marker test to verify a line. However, the "budget" 12 marker test is enough to simply determine if a genetic connection exists. This test makes sense if you sponsor a test for another line to determine if you are indeed related, or if your line has been tested and you simply want to rule out adoption in your direct line. It also makes sense if you have hit a brick wall and simply want to see if you are connected to other lines. Even if you don't match right away, as more Brysons are tested you may later. Then, if you wish, you can upgrade your test to a 25 marker test (the lab will simply test 13 more markers).

Can I help? If you are a woman you can certainly find a male from your line to sponsor and you can help spread the word among your family about the project. An uncle who might not care about genealogy per se, might be very interested to learn if his ancestors were Vikings. You can also post on our Surname Forum about your line and perhaps connect to a distant cousin.

We also have a general fund for testing and you can donate as little or as much as you like to help the project. If your line has already been tested and confirmed your contributions to the fund can help to sponsor tests for Brysons and related surnames from the United Kingdom, Ireland, or France.

Can I find out more? To learn more about the science, DNA 101 explains the science and has lots of useful information and links. The Family Tree DNA website also has plenty of information. And you are welcome to weigh in on our Surname Forum where we also have links and information.

Does it make sense for African American Brysons to participate? In the area of genetic genealogy, these are exciting times for African Americans. Amateur genealogists everywhere shared the excitement when Alex Haley found his African roots. That must have seemed like an impossible dream for most African Americans, but the dream may become a reality. It may not be possible to actually find one's family and village, but it may be possible to find one's geographic area, population group, or tribe.

Scientists are now identifying the genetic makeup of various African tribes. This gives African Americans a point of reference and an opportunity to discover something about their roots. Statistically, we can expect about thirty percent of male African Americans to carry Y Chromosome patterns associated with European Americans. This is because the Y Chromosome is passed on from fathers to sons, so if a European American produced a son with an African American woman, that son and all his male descendants would carry this same Y Chromosome.

For African Americans, this would still be useful knowledge in terms of conventional genealogy, but it wouldn't answer the question of African roots. However, for the seventy percent who do carry an African-based Y Chromosome, there is an opportunity to explore connections to Africa. The testing service our Surname Project uses has a 12 marker test which costs $99 plus postage. This test will identify your probable Haplogroup (population group).

For example, “Haplogroup B is one of the oldest Y-chromosome lineages in humans. Haplogroup B is found exclusively in Africa. This lineage was the first to disperse around Africa. There is current archaeological evidence supporting a major population expansion in Africa approximately 90-130 thousand years ago. It has been proposed that this event may have spread Haplogroup B throughout Africa.”

Most of the Brysons who have been tested thus far belong to Haplogroup R1b. “It is the most common haplogroup in European populations. It is believed to have expanded throughout Europe as humans re-colonized after the last glacial maximum 10-12 thousand years ago. This lineage is also the haplogroup containing the Atlantic modal haplotype (HG1).” One Bryson group was probably Viking in origin.

There is a company called African Ancestry which matches test results against a databank of African results and gives a likely connection. This service, however, costs $349.

There is also an interesting non-profit project called, The South Carolina DNA Roots Project. They are trying to use DNA science to interest young African American students in science, and their project seeks to identify distinct African groups to use as genetic reference points. Should any African American Brysons take part in our surname project, we can work together to try and gain access to public information about African results to use as a comparison. For example, scientists from the Roots Project have published results in the Journal of Physical Anthropology, and according to an article: “The African-American DNA Roots Project is creating a computer databank of DNA haplotypes from the African nations where many black Americans are believed to have come from, such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Uganda, Benin, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Ivory Coast. The goal of Jackson and his colleagues is to collect thousands of profiles.”

For our surname project we focus on the Y Chromosome, but for African Americans there is another DNA test which is based on female chromosomes. It is called Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which are chromosomes inherited exclusively from one's mother. This gives an insightful look at one's deep ancestry. Again this is offered by African Ancestry for $349. With our group rate this test is available from Family Tree DNA for $160.

So you see there is a lot going on in genetics which offers hope to African Americans seeking to discover their roots. Beyond the question of race and African roots, the surname projects allows those who carry the Bryson name the opportunity to discover their genetic Bryson cousins. Two Brysons, regardless of ethnicity, who descended from the same male ancestor will have identical or near identical results. If, for example, three African American Brysons are tested, they will discover if they are genetically linked to each other. Moreover, they will also learn if they are related to the European American Brysons who have been tested.

What about particpants with related surnames? Y Chromosome analysis allows us to examine genetic connections which predate conventional paper trails. It seems plausible that some connections exist among surnames such as Brice, Bryce, Bryceson, Brison and Brisson. There may also be connections to less obvious surnames such as Price, Rice, and even Morrison. (Visit the forum for more on this topic.) Y Chromosome testing will take the guesswork out of this question and provide facts.

We welcome anyone from these groups into the project. Also, should another surname wish to establish a more prominent and individualized web presence, they could certainly establish a separate website. We can share results and maintain distinct portals to the project, or we can create separate pages within this site and on the forum. We are flexible and willing to assist you.

To email us, click here and page down to find our email address referenced for questions.

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