About us
Welcome to the DeMartini Surname DNA Project ...
where our goal is to identify unique Y-chromosome markers for each of the major DeMartini families whom we believe originated in Lorsica, Italy. Early parish records show several clusters of families with the surname "Demartini" residing in and around these hilltop communes. However, there is tremendous confusion over which family ties to whom from the old country.
THE PROCESS
The makeup of the Y chromosome, the chromosome that determines that an individual will be a male, is passed virtually unchanged from father to son for up to fifteen or twenty generations (500 + years). The genetic markers embedded on the Y chromosome remain almost identical for the majority of name-line male descendants of the original ancestor. Over long periods of time, some of these markers gradually change, but the match will be still be recognizable to the genealogist. Only a break in the chain of inheritance, caused either by an adoption or a natural birth, can produce a different set of markers for a particular family and its offspring.
Thus, all of the direct-line, male descendants who descend from one specific DeMartini family should have near-identical number markers. If the markers from any one family match the markers of a descendant from one of the other major DeMartini lines, then we know that the individuals have a male ancestor in common. If, on the other hand, the numbers don’t match, then they’re not related. It’s as simple as that. The numbers don’t tell us how far back families are related (if they are), although sometimes variations in markers in particular branches can be used to determine the lapse of time involved, or to identify those branches.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
The success of such a project is getting widespread participation among present-day DeMartini families. The more test results that we have available, the more matches that we’re going to make, thus more answers for all of us to share.We need at least two male volunteers named DeMartini from each major line (and preferably from each major branch of that family). Knowing something about the genealogical background of the DeMartini family being tested also helps considerably to provide a context to other researchers.