Results
Update August 15, 2009
The project is now beginning to show diversity among the Nickens lines.
Several tests have been submitted by descendants of William Nickens, who was born around 1779 in North Carolina and died in Wilson County, Tennessee in 1820. William had at least seven sons: Marcus, Calvin, John, Andrew, W. Cordy, Joseph and William, Jr. Thus far we have test results from descendants of four of those sons. A comparison of the results on the first 12 markers show that descendants of three of the sons match exactly on the first twelve markers. Descendants of one son show a one-step mutation on the marker labeled 389 (the two values for 389a and b are considered as one). This means that in that particular line of descent there was a single mutation in the DNA pattern as it passed from William, Sr. to his son William, Jr., or to one of his descendants. This is a single mutation in a two-hundred year time-span. Since Test results of descendants of three sons of William Nickens are an exact match, we now know what William's DNA was.
Another test is from a descendant of Samual (name may be Lamual Nickens (b. 1794 in North Carolina) who was probably a cousin of William's sons. He shares the same value of 389 with descendants of three of William's sons, but has a different value for marker 19.
More recent test are showing other distinct lines. One line is that of a Nickens family who first appear in records in Illinois around 1850. Although they seem to have come from Tennessee, they do not share the same DNA as William's family.
Another distinct line is that of Lemuel Nickens of Tennessee. Although he is likely related to William's family, his DNA is different also. It is also different than the Illinois family.
The most recent test shows the usefullness of DNA testing. It had been speculated that descendants of a family who were first identified in North Carolina and migrated to Ohio were descendants of a Willis Nickens of Hertford County. However, he does not match the DNA of a known brother of Willis, thereby indicating he was probably not of that family.