About us
Note: News and updates posted in reverse chronological order. For the earliest news, skip to the bottom of the page.
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January 10, 2024
Big Y-SNP testing has connected a family which had an adopted surname to its Larkin ancestry in Ireland.
As the original links are no longer functional, the first scientific study "Ancestral Parish Sampling on the Shannon River" has been reposted to the link below:
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February 11, 2023
Updated member subgrouping and news.
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October 25, 2022
Presentation slides on the topic of Intermediate and Advanced Y-DNA Topics by Brad Larkin were published on Surname DNA Journal.
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March 11, 2022
FTDNA updates its Y-DNA phylogenetic tree to reflect a distinct branch of Larkin Type 01 from counties Mayo and Donegal, Ireland having terminal SNP FTC14659.
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February 17, 2022
Updated project grouping with new members of Larkin Types 01 and 09.
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February 1, 2022
Hyperlink to the first Larkin DNA research paper has changed. See https://jogg.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/61.012.pdf for the paper, Larkin DNA Project - Ancestral Parish Sampling on the Shannon River.
We have our first Big Y-700 result in for Larkin Type 04. This lineage originating in Kilchreest Parish, County Galway is part of M222 but from subbranch BY97599.
Strong results in Larkin Type 15A with several men sharing SNP marker BY115181 that likely originates around Lough Neigh and Lough Lurgan in Northern Ireland.
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March 27, 2021
Removed Type 23 as the one individual in this group has determined that his patrilineal ancestor had a different surname.
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February 9, 2021
Created new group, Type 022, for descendants of R-M222, S658, DF105, and BY102981.
Updated member Y-DNA subgrouping based on confirmed SNPs.
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October 6, 2020
Add FAQ page to this site.
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July 28, 2020
Updated member Y-DNA subgrouping based on confirmed SNPs.
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February 8, 2019
In the wake of news of accelerating law enforcement exploitation of the FTDNA consumer database, we have made additional information reductions on our Project results display.
February 4, 2019
FTDNA responded to news articles relating to FTDNA's facilitation of law enforcement-provided samples and use of the FTDNA matching tools on consumer DNA results (like our Project members) when the Opt-In to Matching option is enabled under Privacy & Sharing in your kit profile. Here is a link to the letter to customers: https://mailchi.mp/familytreedna/letter-to-customers
January 31, 2019
FTDNA has replaced the Big Y-500 test with a new Big Y-700 product. The new product should have wider and more consistent coverage of the useful area of the Y-chromosome. For distinguishing lineages within a family group, this new test should prove valuable. Some BigY-700 tests have been ordered within Larkin Type 01.
In January 2019, we were able to segment Larkin Type 01 into one or more distinct SNP makers below BY21680 for each family group. We also were able to classify Larkin Type 03 as clearly distinct to Types 01 and Types 02 as all three have the R-M222 marker, but Type 03 is part of SNP branch A725 which the other two lack.
In November 2018 Big Y-500 results continue to come in but all tests are not complete. We do have a 2nd Larkin Type 12 member confirmed with R1b SNPs: L21, Z253, Z2534, Z2186, and FGC32922.
In July 2018 we have launched increased resolution studies of Larkin Type 01 and Type 12 using Big Y-500 test which uses SNP and STR markers in combination. We have doubled the number of Big Y-500 orders in the past 7 months and are starting to discover some additional family SNPs not yet on FTDNA's phylogenetic tree.
In May 2018 the impact of the EU's GDPR legislation has resulted in tremendous disruption to the field of genetic genealogy. Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) has added many restrictions and additional layers of sharing preferences on their web platform intended to fulfill GDPR requirements. These changes have included changing the URL address for our project web site. In many cases, DNA project administrators are removing results altogether from the Internet or making them members-only display. Sadly, the World Families Network (WFN) Project Administration services (our original web site) is also being closed after 14 years of providing free yet valuable assistance to genetic genealogists. In particular, the WFN site enabled us to consolidate results from multiple laboratories and tests into a more comprehensive presentation.
In March 2018 FTDNA identified an additional SNP marker (BY23907) that is common to all Larkin Type 15b members. This group has now been confirmed to have members with a pedigree back to Crossmaglen, County Armagh, Ireland (although it should be noted that other Larkin Y-DNA lineages are found very nearby).
In February 2018, new and revised Big Y results came in from the lab. FTDNA adjusts its phylogeny for the Larkin Type 02 group with the first node under M222 now being called FGC4077 and a new SNP named BY35276 so far only being found in men with the Larkin surname of Type 02. Because of pressure relating to the EU GPDR, we no longer publish results to the World Families site and make results here available only to project members.
As of December 2017
- We have 16 BigY samples for men with the Larkin surname.
- We are also adapting to the hg38 assembly update for SNP positions made at FTDNA and YSeq.
- The SNP markers tested have realigned our Larkin subgroups in a few cases: Two samples previously listed in their own group (Type 20) have been reassigned to Type 10 as they share SNP BY19652 as well as Z253. The labeling of all clades has been revised to better reflect distinguishing SNP tree branches.
- For the Larkin Type 01 group, samples with the A738 / BY198 marker have been found in many other surnames, but a new marker downstream, BY21680 so far only has Larkin Type 01 men in it and so may be distinct to our surname.
In February 2017, we finally identified a definitive SNP for the Larkin Type 02 group that is distinct from the other groups: SNP marker FGC4087 is positive in Type 02 and negative in Type 01. On the flip side, SNP markers PF682 and A738 (aka BY198) are positive in Type 01 and negative in Type 02.
In January 2017 we got results on the important Australian Larkin lineage of Thomas Larkin of County Galway who was transported to Australia on the Blenheim in 1851. His DNA is part of the M222 clade.
In October 2016, we continue to see new Z253 results and FTDNA has developed new SNP packs for the Z2185 marker under Z253 so this is clearly a large cadre of Irish origin.
In August 2016 we got our first good match to a Madden within Type 10 who also had a positive Z253 result. R-Z253 is emerging as an important marker and its modal STR values was recalculated based on the R-Z253 project. Color coding of STR variances under R-Z253 on this page was updated to reflect variances from those modals.
In April 2016 a large project update was published with the number of SNPs below M343 identified in participants rising from 11 in 2014 to 26 in 2016. Geographic findings included results showing that the Kilkenny City branch are Type 01 M222 and not related to the rural Kilkenny family. A Larkin sample from south County Limerick also match a family from County Kerry. Additional samples from County Armagh and Kent England have also been found. Comparison was also made to the first Ancienty Y-DNA samples from Bronze Age Ireland had the L21 SNP like 83% of Larkin Project Participants.
In February 2014 an updated presentation was prepared along with a YouTube video summarizing all the research by the Larkin DNA Project. Developments in the past year have included increased SNP testing in light of advances in DNA testing technology. Persons with Irish ancestry have been able to connect to their ancestral homeland thanks to the samples gathered by the Ancestral Parish Sampling effort.
In January 2013 a paper on the results from County Wexford and Ulster were published in Surname DNA Journal at http://www.surnamedna.com/?articles=larkin-dna-project-ancestral-parish-sampling-in-ulster-and-wexford
In 2012, work focused on pre-civil war American Larkin lineages, including African-Americans carrying the name. Genealogy combined with DNA has helped clarify three important Larkin ancestral origins in colonial America in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina.
In 2011, additional native Irish sampling was conducted in Ulster and found Larkin lineages connected to Clan Colla http://www.peterspioneers.com/colla.htm
In 2009, a significant study was made of Larkin DNA samples from the Irish midlands around the Shannon River in Galway, Tipperary, Clare, and Offaly using our Ancestral Parish Sampling approach.
Those results were published in a peer-reviewed journal: (new URL 2024) https://www.surnamedna.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/LarkinDNAProject2010.pdf
In late 2008 another Larkin sample from America with haplogroup R1a and roots in Cambridgeshire, England pattern was found.
In March 2007 Irish samples with Galway heritage were obtained which clearly matched the M-222 signature and one of the original samples was linked to this signature with an SNP test.
In January 2007 we welcomed our first African-American member of the E haplogroup (L-20). This participant is understood to be a paternal cousin of famous American baseball player, Barry Larkin (clade E1b1a, formerly E3a).
In July 2006 we identified our first R1a haplogroup member (L9). From the genealogy accompanying this sample, this line came from Cambridgeshire, England.
In 2005 we had only 4 Y-STR participants. Although all four were haplogroup R1b, none were closely correlated.