Label:
mtDNA human family tree
Description:
DNAi location:
Applications>Human Origins>gene genealogy>Tracing ancestries>Tracing our maternal lineage
An interactive illustration of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) human family tree, showing the two major mtDNA lineages (African populations and African/non-African populations).
In 1987, a Californian research team used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to construct a human family tree. Their tree had two distinct branches: one contained only African mtDNA types; and the second was a mixture of all population types. The branch with African mtDNA types was closest to the tree root. Using this data, the team traced the lineage of modern humans back to a common ancestor who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago.
Biological elements:
mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA, mt DNA, mitochondria, DNA, population
Concepts precesses:
lineage, family tree, pedigree, relationships, ancestry, maternal, descent
Tools & methods :