Cotton/Cotten DNA Project
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Cotton DNA project is to create a database which will enable us to identify the various families bearing the Cotton or Cotten surname. The results may make it possible to tell which families are connected in the male line, and as the database grows, to differentiate between branches within each family. While not a substitute for traditional paper genealogy, genetic testing can often lead the way in getting past "brick walls" by suggesting a direction for the paper research to take. Though DNA results alone cannot prove the paper trail, they can help to back up that research, and a negative result can certainly disprove many incorrect assumptions.
METHOD
The chromosomes in the nucleus of a human cell are grouped in 23 pairs. In a female, the 23rd pair is composed of two X chromosomes, and in a male of one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. When sperm or egg cells are produced, the chromosome pairs separate and each egg or sperm cell receive only one half of the pair. So for about half of all sperm cells, the final chromosome is a Y. At the time of fertilization, the individual chromosomes from the sperm and egg pair up again. However, because of the differences between the X and the Y chromosomes, they are able to swap almost no DNA with each other. So any sons that a man fathers will inherit a nearly identical Y chromosome. Because of this fortunate coincidence of biology (the passing of the Y chromosome from father to son) and cultural tradition (the passing of surnames in the same manner), these DNA tests can have significant value in genealogical research.
The Y chromosome tests that are used examine sequences of DNA known as STR's (Short Tandem Repeats). These STR's are composed of about two to five base pairs which are repeated numerous times. Because of occasional mutations, the number of repeats can sometimes change. These mutations, known as polymorphisms, are passed along from father to son. By comparing the number of repeats in each of the markers tested, it is possible to tell if the men being tested come from the same recent male line.
PARTICIPATION
Any males with the Cotton or Cotten surname or who believe that they are direct male line descendants of a Cotton male are welcome to participate. We also welcome any other possible spelling variations (Coton, Cottin, Cottone, Cotham, Cottam, etc.). Women are obviously not able to participate directly, but they can play an important part in the research by recruiting or sponsoring a brother, father, uncle, etc. There are currently over 170 men who have been tested or are in the process of testing. If you are interested in joining the project, you may do so by contacting Michael Cotten. The test is easy and painless, simply rub a swab over the inside of the cheek and mail the kit back to the testing company in a preaddressed envelope.
List of participants -
FAMILY 1
Carl Arthur Cotton
Peter Daniel Cotton
FAMILY 1A
Walter Bradley Cotton
FAMILY 2
Christopher L. Cotton
Darrell Gerald Richmond Cotton
Ian Sidney Cotton
Reginald Harry Cotton
Richard Graham Hay Cotton
FAMILY 3
Meredith Leonard Cotton
Ross Gilbert Hamilton Cotton
William Raymond Cotton
FAMILY 4
Allan Douglas Cotton
Brian Cotton
C. Cotton
David Lee Cotton
Douglas Lloyd Cotton
Doyle Mark Cotton
Hikaru Kitabayashi
John Buford Cotton
Mark Allen Cotton
Martyn John Cotton
Maurice Arthur Cotton
Michael John Cotton (1)
Michael John Cotton (2)
Michael Scott Cotton
Robert Gordon Cotton
Robert Murry Cotton
Ronald Kenneth Cotton
Roy James Cotton
Terrence Richard Cotton
William Jennings Cotten
William Melvin Cotton
FAMILY 4A
Steve Lawrence Cotton
FAMILY 4B
David Harold Cotton
Donald Stephen Cotton
FAMILY 5
Charles Egerton Cotton
Simon Stapleton-Cotton
Thomas Robert Wellington Stapleton-Cotton
William Andrew Calveley Cotton
FAMILY 6
Barry Percy Carrington Cotton
David Charles Cotten
Christopher John Cotton
David Anthony Cotton
Donald Maurice Cotton
Frederick Peter Cotton
John Hilton Cotton
John Michael Cotton
John Nicholas Cotton
Leslie Stanley George Cotton
Michael Raymond Cotton
Paul Geoffrey Cotton
Roderick Alastair Cotton
Stanley George Cotton
William Frank Cotton
FAMILY 7
Andrew Jackson Cotten Jr.
Beryl Ware Cotton III
David Marshall Cotton
David Michael Cotten
Donald Edwin Cotten
Gordon David Cotton
Gregory Perry Cotten
Harlan Eugene Cotten
Jack Russell Cotton
James Murray Cotten
Jerry Wayne Cotton
Joel Brian Cotton
John Louis Cotton
Kenneth Kaywood Cotten
Larry Bryan Cotten
Leon Brady Cotten Jr.
Ralph Alton Cotton
Raymond Earl Cotton III
Richard Allen Cotten
Richard Polhemus Cotton
Robert Gene Cotton
Ryan Kramer
Steven Alan Cotten
Thomas Wayne Cotton
Tommie DeWayne Cotton
Whitworth Willson Cotten Jr.
FAMILY 7A
Robert Randolph Cotten III
FAMILY 7B
James Braxton Cotton
Jerry Dean Cotton
FAMILY 7C
Jerry Kevin Cotton
FAMILY 7D
Houston Leroy Cotton
FAMILY 8
Bruce Conway Cotton
John Bruce Cotton
(Anonymous) Cotton
FAMILY 9
Billy Jeff Cotten
Cale Leroy Cotten
Roy Rufus Cotton
Steven Mark Cotton
Steven Ray Cotton
Wayne Cotten
William Bryan Cotton
FAMILY 9A
Gordon Huffman Cotton
FAMILY 9B
Bryan McKinley Cotten
(Anonymous) Cotten
FAMILY 9C
Marvin Chancellor Cotten
FAMILY 10
Daniel Luzern Cotton
Frankie LaVern Cotten Jr.
George Rainey Cotton
John David Cotton
Nicholas Ian Arthur Cotton
Pip Cotton
Robert James Cotton
Roger James Cotton
Simon FitzSimon Cotton
Thomas Richard Cotton
Wendell Reed Cotton
(Anonymous) Cotton
FAMILY 11
Allen Worgan Cotton
Andre Omer Cotton
Barry Arthur Cotton
Charles Creath Cottam
Charles Edgar Cotton IV
Danny Lynn Cotham
James Stephen Cotham
James Zina Cotton
Lee Hubert Cotton
Malcolm William Cottam
Mark Christopher Cottom
Rex Eugene Cotten
Sheldon Eugene Cotton
Thomas Earl Cotton
(Anonymous) Cottam
FAMILY 12
Joseph Bruce Cotton
Tom William Cotton
Verne Alban Cotton
Wayne Leroy Cotton
William Tucker Cotton
FAMILY 12A
Jason Lee Cotton
FAMILY 12B
Bruce Nicholas Cotton
FAMILY 13
Marion Sherman Cotton
Michael Dale Cotton
Richard Roy Cotton
FAMILY 14
Kenneth Wayne Cotton
Michael John Cotton (3)
William Fenwick Cotton
FAMILY 14A
Peter Charles Cotton
FAMILY 15
Eric Cotton
Robert David John Cotton
FAMILY 16
Loine Clyde Cotton
Oren Lee Cotton
FAMILY 17
Frank Albert Cotton
FAMILY 18
Bernard Chrysostom Cotton Jr.
Michael Leigh Cotton
Timothy L. Cotton
FAMILY 19
James Sutherland Cotton
FAMILY 20
John James Cotton
Lynwood Irvin Cotton
Michael Cotton
FAMILY 21
William Gene Cotton
FAMILY 22
Richard Edward Cotton
FAMILY 23
Anthony Roger Cotton
Barry John Howard Cotton
FAMILY 24
Ronald William Cotton
FAMILY 25
Lee Cotton
FAMILY 26
Jacques Edward James Cotton
Joseph Albert Cotton
Joseph Neree Leonard Cotton
FAMILY 27
John Henry Cotton
FAMILY 28
Antony David William Vine Cotton
Gordon Kingsley Cotton
FAMILY 29
Edward Bernard Cotton
FAMILY 30
David Frank Cotton
FAMILY 31
David James Thompson Cotton
FAMILY 32
Stanley Norman Cotton
FAMILY 33
Christopher John Nicholas Cotton
FAMILY 34
Trevor Francis Frederick Cotton
FAMILY 35
Colin Clive Cotton
FAMILY 36
Peter Cotton
FAMILY 37
Anthony Ross Cotton
FAMILY 38
David Lawrence Cotton
FAMILY 39
John William Cotton
FAMILY 40
Barry John Cotton
FAMILY 41
Lonnie Michael Cotton
FAMILY 42
(Anonymous) Cotton
FAMILY 43
Frederick William Cotton
FAMILY 44
Daniel William Cotton
John Edward Cotton
FAMILY 45
Daniel Thomas Cotton
FAMILY 46
Claud Cecil Cotton
FAMILY 47
Michael John Cotton (4)
RESULTS
The participants are grouped together in family units determined by the test results. Values in the pink cells are the reconstructed ancestral haplotype for the family as far as can be determined at present. The values for individuals are in blue (when matching the ancestral haplotype), yellow (when not matching, probably representing a mutation), and green (when no ancestral haplotype has been determined). Cells are left gray for those markers which have not been tested for the individual. This is because participants have been tested by several different companies which do not test all of the same markers and also because there are several different tests available from each company.
HAPLOGROUPS
Anthropologists have categorized human Y-DNA into a number of distinct major divisions called haplogroups which they have designated with the letters A through T. Each of these groups has a number of identified subclades and together form a sort of family tree of the human race. As the field of population genetics continues to grow and more men are tested, these results should be able to determine the origin of various haplogroups. Individuals might then identify the nation, tribe or clan that their direct male line came from, e.g. someone of British origin could know if their ancestor was Briton, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman, Scot, etc.
Though haplogroups can only be proven with an SNP test, it is possible to make a general prediction about a group by comparing STR results. At this point, only families 4, 7 and 11 have been SNP tested. The project haplogroup page attempts to categorize our participant families based on the information we have at present.
