A team of scientists in Oxford is trying to prove whether families with the rare surname of "Christmas" all descend from a single male ancestor, BBC reported.

They want to compare the DNA of men from different Christmas clans to see if they are linked by a common genetic heritage as well as by their surnames. This will be done by looking at similarities and differences in the male, or Y, chromosomes of volunteers.

The work is part of wider research on the links between surnames and DNA. It work forms a small part of a wider project being conducted by Professor Sykes on the genetic history of Britain.

Surnames can be remarkably informative in reconstructing the genetic family tree of the British Isles, especially those of moderate frequency that can be tied closely to genealogical records.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!