6 March 2006 Data is finally starting to come in, although not nearly enough to make any conclusions yet. Analysis of the first two RAGSDALE males have placed them in Haplogroup R1b1 as expected (Haplogroup R1b1 is the most common haplogroup in European populations, believed to have expanded throughout Europe as humans re-colonized after the last glacial maximum 10-12 thousand years ago). 7 March 2006 37-marker data has been received for the project's first two participants and it's beginning to look like there are at least two distinct and separate Ragsdale paternal lines, so it will be interesting to see how the remaining participants match up (or don't, as the case may be). 23 March 2006 We now have 25-marker data back on participant #49920, and cursory examination (and use of FamilyTreeDNA's Time Predictor) looks as if there is no common ancestor (comparing participant #49658 with participant #49920 and comparing participant #49632 with participant #49920). The FTDNA Time Predictor said the chance of having a common ancestor in both of the above comparisons was 0.0% in the last 24 generations. Also, although not measured per se, the "predicted" Haplogroup for participant 49920 is "J" as opposed to R1b1 for the other two participants. 4 April 2006 Exciting news! We have received the data back for participant #54757 and he is almost a perfect match (-1 out of 37 markers) with participant #49658. According to the Family Tree DNA Time Predictor Report, there is a 58.85% probability they shared a common ancestor within in the past 4 generations (and a 99.98% probability within the past 24 generations). I do know for a fact that participant #54757’s researchers had hit that notorious ”brick wall” in their research, so maybe this has knocked a few bricks down for them ……. #54757, meet your cousin #49658 !!! Hopefully, this will bring home the fact to all interested parties that the DNA project is a worthwhile endeavor, and we are still in need of your participation. 13 April 2006 We are starting to receive data (markers 1-12 and 26-37 have been released) on participant #56964. Very preliminary analysis demonstrates tracking with participants #49658 & #54757 (as expected), but we are unable to run the Family Tree DNA Time Predictor analysis on anything more than 12-marker until the remainder of the results are released. The remainder of the 37-marker results will be posted as they become available. Data for participant #57688 is estimated to be released around the 5th of May, but don't be surprised to see it a little sooner than that, as FTDNA historically gets results out sooner than what they estimate they will. Also, we have a new participant, kit #60715. It is still very early in the process for him, but we look forward to his contribution to the project. 15 April 2006 The remaining markers were released this evening on participant #56964 and it appears we are well on our way to documenting the Godfrey Ragsdale y-marker DNA. The "Godfrey Group" now has three participants and all three analyze out at having a 99%+ chance of having a common ancestor, and one of the participants is our "gold standard" as it applies to the Godfrey Ragsdale line. We still have two kits in the works, so it remains to be seen whether we will continue adding to the "Godfrey Group," add to Line #2, or, perhaps, start a whole new line. I know I am probably beginning to sound like a broken record, but PLEASEconsider joining the project and, if you can't, PLEASE talk to your brother , cousin, uncle, and so on and convince them to join in. To make this meaningful for all researchers, we need more males from lines that have hit a brick wall (these lines stand to gain the most now that the Godfrey line is being established). 22 April 2006 I just wanted to let everyone know we have a new participant as of last evening. This gentleman, participant #61629, goes back to a Peter Ragsdale, born circa 1798 (probably in Virginia but may have been North Carolina), died circa 1860. He, like some of the rest of us, has hit that notorious brick wall and has turned to genealogy by genetics for some help. This gives us seven participants, with data back on four (data should start appearing on participant #57688 around the 1st week of May. Unless something comes up between now and then, expect another update at this time. 6 May 2006 Exciting news (at least from my standpoint). Up until this point in time, I had been "odd man out" as it pertains to having any degree of match with other participants in the project. This has changed! Participant #57688 and myself (#49632) have matched at 37 out of 37 loci (my grt'grt'grandfather and participant #57688's grt'grt'grandfather were brothers). So, the basic questions become: 1) are we indeed dealing with two distinct Ragsdale lines, or, 2) did all of the participants have a common ancestor in the past, and there was a "non-paternal event" that has confused the issue as it relates to DNA? We may never know for sure, but I am hopeful that the answers will come in time through the continued hard work of all the Ragsdale researchers (and, you never know what is on the horizon as it pertains to genealogy by genetics). We still have two participants who have not had data posted yet, so stay tuned (it is too early in the process to have tentative dates for release of their data, so keep checking back).

23 July 2018 Although some time has passed since news was actively posted to this site, this post finally comes to announce that the Ragsdale surname project is still active and soliciting tests! As already apparent in the year following the project's inception (see above), early participants helped establish that there are at least two genetic Ragsdale lines (grouped in the data charts as orange and yellow), and these two groups have since been borne out by the addition of several new haplotypes. However, several other, single kits have indicated other genetic sources ("pink" category) for the surname, so further tests are welcomed, in line with the originally stated goals of the project. In other news, recent progress has been made to identify more exclusive SNPs for the "yellow" group's ancestor, who genetic and genealogical evidence points to as Godfrey II. Thus far, confirmed SNP testing has narrowed the most terminal SNP for Godfrey II down to R-S18890 (participant #813479). However, it is still possible for even more exclusive SNPs to be revealed through deeper sequencing, and thus the project is soliciting Big Y-500 for members of the "Godfrey Group" in particular. Finally, confirmed SNP testing has still not been performed for the "orange" group, so the project also welcomes further testing from these participants or future participants assigned to this group. In summary — and in response to several posts in the Activity Feed — discoveries are still being made, so keep checking back (and contributing tests!).