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The fastest way to join the Pike project is to go to this webpage at FamilyTreeDNA where you can scroll down a little bit and then select a test to order.
Alternatively, you can order a Y-DNA test through the Guild of One-Name Studies in England, which often provides a discounted price for the 37-marker Y-DNA test.
We recommend the 37 marker Y-DNA test as a good starting point.
Note, however, that it is better to test 111 or more markers - the more markers that are tested, the more informative and definitive the results will be. Best of all would be the "Big Y" test, which includes approximately 700 STR markers (including all those of the 111 marker test) and also analyses roughly ten million nucleotides to detect the presence of SNP mutations.
If you need or want some assistance with the process of ordering a test then get in touch with the volunteer administrators (David and Stuart) for the Pike project (click here to email us). Included in the kit that is then mailed to you will from FamilyTreeDNA will be two or three brushes to collect some cheek cells from inside a person's mouth (note that the collection process is painless and does not involve blood or needles). Still, before ordering a kit, please take a moment to read the information below.
The Pike DNA Project primarily relies upon tests performed on the Y-chromosomes of Pike males. Since the Y-chromosome is passed only from father to son, those who get tested ought to have direct Pike paternity (i.e., their father's father's ... father's father should have been a Pike) and/or carry the Pike name themselves. If you are not a male Pike, you are still welcome to join the project, especially if you can arrange for a male Pike relative to provide a DNA sample for analysis.
Beyond the Y-chromosome, FamilyTreeDNA also has a test that looks at autosomal DNA (each parent passes 50% of his/her autosomal DNA to each child, although which 50% is random). If you have Pike ancestry and have done the autosomal "Family Finder" test, then you are welcome to join the Pike project as well.
We also welcome family and friends to subscribe to our blog.
Some Background Information:
Without getting into too many scientific details, FamilyTreeDNA (the company doing the DNA testing for us) hones in on several particular locations on the Y-chromosome, determines their genetic encoding, and assigns a numerical value to each of them. These genetic markers are what make up the genetic signatures that we are using to compare Pike lineages with each other. In many cases 37 markers are enough to distinguish unrelated family lines, although in some cases more markers are required. Note that you can begin with a 37 marker test and subsequently upgrade to additional markers without having to submit additional DNA samples.
To further help with using DNA to reconstruct family trees, there is also the "Big Y" test that hones in on about ten million SNPs on the Y chromosome (SNPs are a different kind of marker than the traditional markers mentioned above). The "Big Y" test can be ordered as an upgrade if you initially test only 37 or 111 traditional markers.
Our project would not be possible without the services of a company like FamilyTreeDNA to perform the genetic analysis for us, but this also means that there are costs involved in having the DNA tests performed. The prices charged by FamilyTreeDNA are shown on this webpage at FamilyTreeDNA. Please be aware that we (David and Stuart) voluntarily coordinate this project and receive no payment or incentive from FamilyTreeDNA for recommending them.
Newcomers to our project should note that we have a Sponsorship Fund that contains donations which can be used to help offset the costs of some DNA tests. More details about this are found below, on the bottom half of this webpage.
Once you have joined the project, it would be good to send an email message to David and Stuart to confirm that everything worked and that you have been properly registered in the project.
To have your test results displayed on our project's website along with information about your family line, please download and complete this Consent Form. If you do not submit a consent form, then your test results will only be displayed in association with your anonymous test kit number (which is to say that your name, e-mail address, and other personal information will remain confidential). If you have trouble downloading the release form, let David or Stuart know so that a copy can be sent to you as an email attachment. When you submit the form, please also provide your Pike lineage details if you want them posted on the project's website.
Project participants (as well as anybody else who is interested in the project) are encouraged to subscribe to the blog that has been set up for the project. There is also an online discussion board which project members can read and post to.
If you have questions that aren't answered here or in the "FAQ" then feel free to send an email to David and/or Stuart at dapike@mun.ca or cocostu@spamex.com.
Our project has a Sponsorship Fund which contains donations that are used to encourage newcomers to join our project, especially those who may need some enticement or assistance to pay for their initial DNA tests. Donations (which can be made by clicking here) are always welcome.
General Sponsorships:
When funding permits, the sponsorships listed below are available for Y-DNA tests:
| (1) | Sponsorship of $75 for anybody with a Pike/Pyke lineage that has been reliably traced back at least 8 generations, and without any indication that the lineage ties in with one of those already represented in our project. |
| (2) | Sponsorship of $75 for anybody with a Pike/Pyke lineage that has been reliably traced back at least 4 generations to the British Isles or mainland Europe, and without any indication that the lineage ties in with one of those already represented in our project. |
| (3) | Sponsorship of $50 for any Pike/Pyke not residing in Canada or the USA. |
Sometimes donors ask to have their contributions directed toward particular Pike families, rather than to be used for the three general sponsorship categories listed above. As a result of donations with particular preferences on their use, we have available the following sponsorships:
In exchange for receiving one of the sponsorships described above, recipients must agree to have their pedigree information published on the project's website. The general idea here is that if the project is helping to pay for a test, then the project should benefit in the form of being able to associate the DNA results with a pedigree.
Because funding is limited, support from our Sponsorship Fund is available on a first-come first-served basis. Please contact David and/or Stuart at dapike@mun.ca or cocostu@spamex.com to inquire about seeking support from the fund.
As a special message to those receiving support, it would be greatly appreciated if at some time in the future you are in a position to do so, please consider making a contribution so that others in need might also be able to avail of support as you once did.
The following are gratefully acknowledged for having made contributions to our project's Sponsorship Fund:
To contribute to our Sponsorship Fund, go to this webpage at FamilyTreeDNA. Please also send an email message to David and/or Stuart at dapike@mun.ca or cocostu@spamex.com to describe how you want your donation to be applied. In particular, if you want to restrict your donation in some way (such as to a particular person, or to descendants of particular Pikes, or to people with Pike ancestry from a certain location, etc.) then you will have to tell us about it; otherwise we will assume that your contribution is to be put towards the three general criteria listed earlier.
As a point of disclosure, note that cash in our Sponsorship Fund is held in trust by FamilyTreeDNA. David and Stuart generally do not actually handle the money itself, although it is our role to tell FamilyTreeDNA which tests are to receive support from our Sponsorship Fund.