A Y-DNA lineage has been identified in the Dominican Republic that is of some interest to genetic genealogists. Initial testing found that various men with the surname Taveras from the R-P311 haplogroup and from with paternal lines originally from or near Santiago de los Caballeros were matching at the Y-37 level on FamilyTreeDNA. Upgrading two of these tests discovered their common haplogroup of R-FTD44589 which appears to be of Iberian origin. This haplogroup formed approximately 1668 CE between the descendants of Carlos Taveras of Licey, Santiago and Pedro Tavera of Santiago and resided in Moca, Espaillat. A third lineage of Taveras originated with Francisco Taveras married to Reina Polanco from the mid 1800s. This family originated from Los Amaceyes, Santiago.

• Carlos Taveras, married Dolores Cortorreal Acevedo (c. 1797-1882), residents of Licey.

• Francisco Taveras, married Reina Polanco, died before 1887 and his son Federico Taveras Polanco (born c. 1859) of Los Amaceyes, Santiago.

• Pedro Taveras (c. 1795-1855), married María del Rosario. They moved to Moca, Espaillat.

Subsequent testing uncovered three new surnames connected to this haplogroup, the Hidalgo, Pantaleón, and Salazar of Tenares, Hermanas Mirabal. The furthest back the genealogy goes for these three families appear to have their founders all born around the mid 1700s. 

• Tomás Hidalgo, born about 1746, married Petrona de Tejeda, resided in Arroyo Caña partido de San Francisco de Macorís in September 1812 with his wife and ten children.

• Bernardo Pantaleón y Villar, born about 1786, son of Manuel Santa María Pantaleón and Cayetana del Villar, married María Tejada, resided in Arroyo Caña partido de San Francisco de Macorís in September 1812 with his wife, three children, and Sebastiana María.

• Manuel Salazar, born about 1746, married Brigida del Rosario, resided in Arroyo Caña partido de San Francisco de Macorís in September 1812 with his wife, four sons, and two slaves.

The birthplaces are unknown and how closely related these individuals are to each other is again a question that remains unanswered. There are curious connections though between the three families all residing in the same area based on the 1812 census of San Francisco de Macorís. Immediately noticeable is that both Tomás Hidalgo and Bernardo Pantaleón y Villar married women from the Tejada family. Possibly the greatest indication of their connection is a marriage between the children of Bernardo Pantaleón and Manuel Salazar. José Rufino Pantaleón Tejada and Florencia Salazar Rosario married February 10, 1830 in San Francisco de Macorís. Noted in their marriage was a dispensation of third degree consanguinity indicating they share a common ancestor who was a great grandparent. If this record is referring to a paternal line connection between the couple, it would indicate that the father of Manuel Santa María Pantaleón and the grandfather of Manuel Salazar were the same person, putting a common ancestor between them estimated to be born in the early 1700s.