Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question that isn't answered below, please contact the study coordinator.

1. Why can't females participate in the study?

2. How long will it take to get test results?

3. Will I have the right to remove my test results or any other information from the Family Tree DNA database at some later time?

4. Will I have the right to remove my test results or any other information from the Arnold DNA Study website at some later time?

5. Can I use this as a substitute for a paternity test?

6. What if my test results don't match those of anybody else in the group?

Why can't females participate in the study?

Females can participate in the study, but not in same way as males.

Our study is based on information found on the Y-chromosome, which is only found in males. For that reason, only males can be tested. (For more information, read the Background page.)

However, females can participate by:

• Sponsoring some or all of the cost of another person's test kit, or

• Serving as the contact person for a male relative, or

• Recruiting a male relative who would otherwise never hear about the study

How long will it take to get test results?

It can vary, depending on when Family Tree DNA sends the sample to the testing lab. According to the Family Tree DNA website however, it should take about seven weeks.

Will I have the right to remove my test results or any other information from the Family Tree DNA database at some later time?

Yes. According to the Family Tree DNA website, you would only need to e-mail them and request it.

Will I have the right to remove my test results or any other information from the Arnold DNA Study website at some later time?

Yes. You would only need to:

1. resubmit the information release form, and

2. contact the study coordinator

Can I use this as a substitute for a paternity test?

No. Family Tree DNA's primary test attempts to determine if two people, thought to be unrelated, actually had a common ancestor. The specific purpose is to help recreate lost family links. This test is for genealogical purposes, not for paternity, alimony or other legal purposes.

What if my test results don't match those of anybody else in the group?

There is a possibility your test results won't match those of anyone else in the group.

Samples that vary from the main group by three or more markers may do so for a number of reasons.

• The sample represents distinct lines - either older or younger - than the currently observed most frequent line.

• Any one of several possible non-paternal events took place, including:

• Infidelity

• Adoption

• Taking of the Arnold name by a man who marries an Arnold woman

• Marriage between an Arnold man and a woman who is pregnant and recently widowed, divorced, etc.

• Clerical error when recording administrative data

It should be stressed that adoptions were quite common in every age. For example, parents may have been killed as a result of disease or war, after which a relative or family friend took in the orphaned children and raised them with their own surname name. Another example would be the case of a young daughter having a child out of wedlock, in which case the daughter's parents may have taken the child and raised it as their own.

In short, there are many possible explanations for results that don't necessarily match the majority of the study group. Knowing those results will still be valuable in continuing your genealogical research.