The purpose of the Looney DNA Project is to discover and document relationships among Looney families through genetic testing.  

The project uses Y-chromosome testing, comparing the unique Y-STR segments that fathers pass intact to their sons, which remain stable from generation to generation, with only minor, infrequent changes.  Therefore the DNA sample must be provided by a male Looney with an unbroken Looney line.  Females may participate by recruiting a Looney male relative (grandfather, father, uncle, cousin, or nephew) to provide the requisite DNA as a representative of her line. 

The Y-DNA results section provides a place for Looney family members to see their Y-DNA results, and how those results compare to other tested Looneys.  Comparisons of Y-DNA results will make it possible to verify or disprove existing paper genealogies, and to determine relationships where they exist.

The Project  will also attempt to identify the deep ancestry of tested participants through haplogroup testing.  This can reveal national and regional patterns of migration and settlement in prehistory.