In human mitochondrial genetics

Human mitochondrial genetics

Human mitochondrial genetics is the study of the genetics of the DNA contained in human mitochondria. Mitochondria are small structures in cells that generate energy for the cell to use, and are hence referred to as the "powerhouses" of the cell....

, Haplogroup M is a human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup. An enormous haplogroup spanning all the continents, the macro-haplogroup M, like its sibling N

Haplogroup N (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup N is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup. An enormous haplogroup spanning many continents, the macro-haplogroup N, like its sibling M, is a descendant of haplogroup L3....

, is a descendant of haplogroup L3

Haplogroup L3 (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup L3 is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup L3 has played a pivotal role in the history of the human species...

.

All mtDNA haplogroups considered native outside of Africa are descendants of either haplogroup M or its sibling haplogroup N

Haplogroup N (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup N is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup. An enormous haplogroup spanning many continents, the macro-haplogroup N, like its sibling M, is a descendant of haplogroup L3....

. The geographical distributions of M and N are associated with discussions concerning out of Africa migrations and the subsequent colonization of the rest of the world

Early human migrations

Early human migrations began when Homo erectus first migrated out of Africa over the Levantine corridor and Horn of Africa to Eurasia about 1.8 million years ago, a migration probably sparked by the development of language Early human migrations began when Homo erectus first migrated out of Africa...

. In particular it is often taken to indicate that it is very likely that there was one particularly major prehistoric migration of humans out of Africa, and that both M and N were part of this colonization process.

Origins

There is an ongoing debate concerning geographical origins of Haplogroup M and its sibling haplogroup N. Both these lineages are thought to have been the main surviving lineages involved in the out of Africa migration (or migrations) because all indigenous lineages found outside Africa belong to either haplogroup M or haplogroup N. Yet to be conclusively determined is whether the mutations that define haplogroups M and N occurred in Africa before the exit from Africa or in Asia after the exit from Africa. Determining the origins of haplogroup M is further complicated by the fact that it is found both in Africa and outside of Africa.

It is generally accepted that haplogroup M evolved shortly after the emergence of its parent clade haplogroup L3. Apart from haplogroup M and its sibling haplogroup N, the numerous other subclades of L3 are largely restricted to Africa, which suggests that L3 arose in Africa. In Africa, haplogroup M, specifically its subclade M1, has a fairly restricted distribution, being found mainly in East and North Africa at low to moderate frequencies. The limited distribution of haplogroup M in Africa and its widespread presence outside Africa, suggests that this lineage emerged very close to the time of the Out of Africa migration, either shortly before or shortly after the exit from Africa.

Haplogroup M1

Much of discussion concerning the origins of haplogroup M has been related to its subclade haplogroup M1, which is the only variant of macrohaplogroup M found in Africa. Two possibilities were being considered as potential explanations for the presence of M1 in Africa:

1. M was present in the ancient population which later gave rise to both M1 in Africa, and M more generally found in Eurasia.
2. The presence of M1 in Africa is the result of a back-migration from Asia which occurred sometime after the Out of Africa migration.

Haplogroup M23

In 2009, two independent publications reported a rare, deep-rooted subclade of haplogroup M, referred to as M23, that is present in Madagascar. The contemporary populations of Madagascar were formed in the last 2,000 years by the admixture of African and Southeast Asian (Austronesian) populations. M23 seems to be restricted to Madagascar as it was not detected anywhere else. M23 could have been brought to Madagascar from Asia where most deep rooted subclades of Haplogroup M are found.

Asian origin theory

According to this theory, anatomically modern humans carrying ancestral haplogroup L3 lineages were involved in the Out of Africa migration from East Africa into Asia. Somewhere in Asia, the ancestral L3 lineages gave rise to haplogroups M and N. The ancestral L3 lineages were then lost by genetic drift

Genetic drift

Genetic drift or allelic drift is the change in the frequency of a gene variant in a population due to random sampling.The alleles in the offspring are a sample of those in the parents, and chance has a role in determining whether a given individual survives and reproduces...

 as they are infrequent outside Africa. The hypothesis of Asia as the place of origin of macrohaplogroup M is supported by the following:

1. The highest frequencies worldwide of macrohaplogroup M are observed in Asia, specifically in India and Bangladesh, where frequencies range from 60%-80%.*
2. With the exception of the African specific M1, India has several M lineages that emerged directly from the root of haplogroup M.
3. Only two subclades of haplogroup M, M1 and M23, are found in Africa, whereas numerous subclades are found outside Africa (with some discussion possible only about sub-clade M1, concerning which see below).

1. Specifically concerning M1

• Haplogroup M1 has a restricted geographic distribution in Africa, being found mainly in North Africa
  North Africa
  North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
  
  ns and East Africa
  East Africa
  East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
  
   at low or moderate frequencies. If M had originated in Africa around before the Out of Africa migration, it would be expected to have a more widespread distribution
• According to Gonzalez et al. 2007, M1 appears to have expanded relatively recently. In this study M1 had a younger coalescence age than the Asian-exclusive M lineages.
• The geographic distribution of M1 in Africa is predominantly North African/supra-equatorial and is largely confined to Afro-Asiatic
  Afro-Asiatic languages
  The Afroasiatic languages , also known as Hamito-Semitic, constitute one of the world's largest language families, with about 375 living languages...
  
   speakers, which is inconsistent with the Sub-Saharan distribution of sub-clades of haplogroups L3
  Haplogroup L3 (mtDNA)
  In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup L3 is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup. Haplogroup L3 has played a pivotal role in the history of the human species...
  
   and L2
  Haplogroup L2 (mtDNA)
  In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup L2 is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup typical of Africa. Its subclade L2a is a somewhat frequent and widespread mtDNA cluster in Africa, as well as in the African diaspora Americans . et al.-Origin:L2 is a common African lineage. It is believed to...
  
   that have similar time depths.
• One of the basal lineages of M1 lineages has been found in Northwest Africa and in the Near East
  Near East
  The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
  
   but is abssent in East Africa.
• M1 is not restricted to Africa. It is relatively common in the Mediterranean, peaking in Iberia
  Iberian Peninsula
  The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
  
  . M1 also enjoys a well-established presence in the Middle East, from the South of the Arabian Peninsula to Anatolia
  Anatolia
  Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
  
   and from the Levant
  Levant
  The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
  
   to Iran
  Iran
  Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
  
  . In addition, M1 haplotypes have occasionally been observed in the Caucasus
  Caucasus
  The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
  
   and the Trans Caucasus, and without any accompanying L lineages. M1 has also been detected in Central Asia
  Central Asia
  Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
  
  , seemingly reaching as far as Tibet
  Tibet
  Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
  
  .
• The fact that the M1 sub-clade of macrohaplogroup M has a coalescence age which overlaps with that of haplogroup U6
  Haplogroup U (mtDNA)
  In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup U is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origins:Haplogroup U descends from a woman in the Haplogroup R branch of the phylogenetic tree, who lived around 55,000 years ago...
  
   (a Eurasian haplogroup whose presence in Africa is due to a back-migration from West Asia) and the distribution of U6 in Africa is also restricted to the same North African and Horn African populations as M1 supports the scenario that M1 and U6 were part of the same population expansion from Asia to Africa.
• The timing of the proposed migration of M1 and U6-carrying peoples from West Asia to Africa (between 40,000 to 45,000 ybp) is also supported by the fact that it coincides with changes in climatic conditions that reduced the desert areas of North Africa, thereby rendering the region more accessible to entry from the Levant. This climatic change also temporally overlaps with the peopling of Europe by populations bearing haplogroup U5
  Haplogroup U (mtDNA)
  In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup U is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origins:Haplogroup U descends from a woman in the Haplogroup R branch of the phylogenetic tree, who lived around 55,000 years ago...
  
  , the European sister clade of haplogroup U6.

African origin hypothesis

According to this theory, haplogroups M and N arose from L3 in an East African population that had been isolated from other African populations. Members of this population were involved in the out Africa migration and only carried M and N lineages. With the possible exception of haplogroup M1, all other M and N clades in Africa were lost by genetic drift

Genetic drift

Genetic drift or allelic drift is the change in the frequency of a gene variant in a population due to random sampling.The alleles in the offspring are a sample of those in the parents, and chance has a role in determining whether a given individual survives and reproduces...

.

The African origin of Haplogroup M is supported by the following arguments and evidence.

1. L3, the parent clade of haplogroup M, is found throughout Africa, but is rare outside Africa. According to Toomas Kivisild
   Toomas Kivisild
   Toomas Kivisild, is an Estonian geneticist. He graduated in 1992 as a zoologist, and completed his Ph.D. at the Estonian Biocentre research institute. He is a professor of human evolutionary genetics at Cambridge University and his main work has focused on human mtDNA variation.Stephen...
   
    (2003), "the lack of L3 lineages other than M and N in India and among non-African mitochondria in general suggests that the earliest migration(s) of modern humans already carried these two mtDNA ancestors, via a departure route over the Horn of Africa
   Horn of Africa
   The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
   
   ."
2. Ancestral L3 lineages that gave rise to M and N have not been discovered outside Africa.
3. Specifically concerning at least M1:

• Haplogroup M1 is largely restricted to Africa where the highest frequencies of M1 can be found in East Africa, particularly in Ethiopia. M1 is found in Europe and the Near East but at considerably lower frequencies than in Africa.
• Early studies once reported the age of haplogroup M1 to be similar to that of haplogroup M. Quintana et al. (1999) suggested that the age of the then-East African specific haplogroup M1, calculated using RFLP data (48,000±15,000), was compatible with that of the Indian-specific haplogroup M lineages (56,000±7,000).

Dispersal

A number of studies have proposed that the ancestors of modern haplogroup M dispersed from Africa through the southern route across the Horn of Africa

Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...

 along the coastal regions of Asia onwards to New Guinea and Australia. These studies suggested that the migrations of haplogroups M and N occurred separately with haplogroup N heading northwards from East Africa to the Levant

Levant

The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...

. However, the results of numerous recent studies indicate that there was only one migration out of Africa and that haplogroups M and N were part of the same migration. This is based on the analysis of a number of relict

Relict

A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....

 populations along the proposed beachcombing route from Africa to Australia, all of which possessed both haplogroups N and M.

A 2008 study by Abu-Amero et al., suggests that the Arabian Peninsula

Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...

 may have been the main route out of Africa. However as the region lacks of autochthonous clades of haplogroups M and N the authors suggest that the area has been a more recent receptor of human migrations than an ancient demographic expansion center along the southern coastal route as proposed under the single migration Out-of-Africa scenario of the African origin hypothesis.

Distribution

M is the single most common mtDNA haplogroup in Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, and peaks in Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

 where it represents two thirds of the maternal lineages, and is ubiquitous in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 where it has a 60% frequency.

Due to its great age, haplogroup M is an mtDNA lineage which does not correspond well to present-day ethnic groups, as it spans Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

n, Native American

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

, East Asia

East Asia

East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...

n, Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

n, Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

n, South Asia

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

n, Melanesia

Melanesia

Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...

n populations at a considerable frequency .

Among the descendants of M are C

Haplogroup C (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup C is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup C is believed to have arisen somewhere between the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal some 60,000 years before present. It is a descendant of the haplogroup M.-Distribution:Haplogroup C is found in...

, D

Haplogroup D (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup D is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup D is believed to have arisen in Asia some 48,000 years before present. It is a descendant haplogroup of haplogroup M.-Distribution:...

, E

Haplogroup E (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, haplogroup E is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup typical for the Malay Archipelago. It is a subgroup of haplogroup M9.-Origin:...

, G

Haplogroup G (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup G is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup G is a descendant of haplogroup M. Haplogroup G is divided into subclades G1 and G2a, which represent the Koryaks and Itelmen.-Distribution:...

, Q

Haplogroup Q (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, haplogroup Q is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup typical for Oceania. It is a subgroup of haplogroup M29'Q.-Distribution:...

, and Z

Haplogroup Z (mtDNA)

In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup Z is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup Z is believed to have arisen in Central Asia, and is a descendant of haplogroup CZ.-Distribution:...

, with Z and G being observed in North Eurasian populations, C and D being shared among North Eurasian and Native American populations, E being observed in Southeast Asian populations, and Q being observed in Melanesian populations. The lineages M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M18 and M25 are exclusive to South Asia, with M2 reported to be the oldest lineage on the Indian sub-continent.

Subgroups distribution

• Haplogroup M1 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M1.htm - found in North Africa
  North Africa
  North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
  
  , Horn of Africa
  Horn of Africa
  The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
  
  , Mediterranean, and Middle East
  Middle East
  The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
  
  
• Haplogroup M2 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M2.htm - found in South Asia, with highest concentrations in SE India and Bangladesh; oldest haplogroup M lineage on the Indian sub-continent.
  • M2a - most common in Bangladesh
  • M2b - most common in SE India
• Haplogroup M3 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M3.htm - found mainly in South Asia, with highest concentrations in west and NW India
• M4"45
  • Haplogroup M4 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M4.htm - found mainly in South Asia but some sequences in Eastern Saudi Arabia
    • Haplogroup M4a - found in Gujarat, India
      India
      India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
      
      
  • Haplogroup M30
    Haplogroup M30 (mtDNA)
    In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup M30 is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup M30 is a South-Asian or an India-specific maternal lineage of the macrohaplogroup M identified by the mutations T195A, G15431A and G12007A .Haplogroup M30 used to be a part of M4...
    
     - mainly in India
    India
    India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
    
    , found in Middle East and North Africa.
  • Haplogroup M37
    • Haplogroup M37a - found in Gujarat, India
• Haplogroup M5 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M5.htm - found in South Asia
  • Haplogroup M5a - found in Orissa
    Orissa
    Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
    
    , India
• Haplogroup M6 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M6.htm - found mainly in South Asia, with highest concentrations in mid-eastern India and Kashmir
  • Haplogroup M6b - found in Kerala
    Kerala
    or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
    
    , India
• Haplogroup M7 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M7.htm - found in East Asia, especially in Japan
  Japan
  Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
  
  
• Haplogroup M8
  • Haplogroup M8a: http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M8.htm - found in East Asia, especially in Japan
    • Haplogroup M8a2 - frequently found in indigenous peoples of Kamchatka
      Kamchatka Peninsula
      The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
      
       (Koryaks
      Koryaks
      Koryaks are an indigenous people of Kamchatka Krai in the Russian Far East, who inhabit the coastlands of the Bering Sea to the south of the Anadyr basin and the country to the immediate north of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the southernmost limit of their range being Tigilsk. They are akin to the...
      
      , Itelmens
      Itelmens
      The Itelmen, sometimes known as Kamchadal, are an ethnic group who are the original inhabitants living on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The Itelmen language is distantly related to Chukchi and Koryak, forming the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family, but it is now virtually extinct, the vast...
      
      ), with a few examples known from samples of Chukchis
      Chukchi people
      The Chukchi, or Chukchee , ) are an indigenous people inhabiting the Chukchi Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean within the Russian Federation. They speak the Chukchi language...
      
      , Koreans, and Tuvans
      Tuvans
      Tuvans or Tuvinians are Turkic peoples living in southern Siberia. They are historically known as one of the Uriankhai, from the Mongolian designation...
      
      
  • Haplogroup CZ
    Haplogroup CZ (mtDNA)
    In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup CZ is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup CZ is a descendant of haplogroup M and is a parent to haplogroups C and Z. Haplogroup CZ is divided into subclades C and Z.-Distribution:...
    
    
    • Haplogroup C
      Haplogroup C (mtDNA)
      In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup C is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup C is believed to have arisen somewhere between the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal some 60,000 years before present. It is a descendant of the haplogroup M.-Distribution:Haplogroup C is found in...
      
       http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_C.htm - found especially in Siberia
      • Haplogroup C1 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_C1.htm - found in Asia and America (Native Americans
        Indigenous peoples of the Americas
        The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
        
         and Hispanics in particular)
      • Haplogroup C4
    • Haplogroup Z
      Haplogroup Z (mtDNA)
      In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup Z is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup Z is believed to have arisen in Central Asia, and is a descendant of haplogroup CZ.-Distribution:...
      
       http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_Z.htm - found among diverse Eurasian populations: Hazara, Finns, Japanese
      Japanese people
      The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
      
      , Sami
      Sami people
      The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
      
       and some Russians
      Russians
      The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
      
      .
• Haplogroup M9 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M9.htm - found in East and Southeast Asia
  • Haplogroup E
    Haplogroup E (mtDNA)
    In human mitochondrial genetics, haplogroup E is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup typical for the Malay Archipelago. It is a subgroup of haplogroup M9.-Origin:...
    
     - a subclade of M9 - found especially in SE Asia
• Haplogroup M10 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M10.htm - small clade found in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Central Asia, and southern Siberia
• Haplogroup M11 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M11&12.htm - small clade found especially among the Chinese
  Han Chinese
  Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
  
   and some Bangladeshis
• Haplogroup M12'G
  • Haplogroup M12 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M11&12.htm - small clade found in Japan
  • Haplogroup G
    Haplogroup G (mtDNA)
    In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup G is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup G is a descendant of haplogroup M. Haplogroup G is divided into subclades G1 and G2a, which represent the Koryaks and Itelmen.-Distribution:...
    
     http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_G.htm - found especially in Japan and in indigenous peoples of Kamchatka
    Kamchatka Peninsula
    The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
    
     (Koryaks
    Koryaks
    Koryaks are an indigenous people of Kamchatka Krai in the Russian Far East, who inhabit the coastlands of the Bering Sea to the south of the Anadyr basin and the country to the immediate north of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the southernmost limit of their range being Tigilsk. They are akin to the...
    
    , Alyutors
    Alyutors
    The Alyutors are an ethnic group who lived on the Kamchatka and Chukotka peninsulas of the Russian Far East. Today most of them live in the Koryak Autonomous Okrug. The name also occurs as Olyutorka, a settlement where many of the Alyutors used to live...
    
    , Itelmens
    Itelmens
    The Itelmen, sometimes known as Kamchadal, are an ethnic group who are the original inhabitants living on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The Itelmen language is distantly related to Chukchi and Koryak, forming the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family, but it is now virtually extinct, the vast...
    
    ) with some isolated instances in diverse places of Asia
• Haplogroup M21 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M21.htm - small clade found in SE Asia and Bangladesh
• Haplogroup M27 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M27-29.htm - found in Melanesia
  Melanesia
  Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
  
  
• Haplogroup M28 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M27-29.htm - found in Melanesia
• Haplogroup M29'Q
  • Haplogroup M29 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M27-29.htm - found in Melanesia
  • Haplogroup Q
    Haplogroup Q (mtDNA)
    In human mitochondrial genetics, haplogroup Q is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup typical for Oceania. It is a subgroup of haplogroup M29'Q.-Distribution:...
    
     http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_Q.htm - found in Melanesia and Australia (Aborigines)
• Haplogroup M31 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M31.htm - found among the Onge
  Onge
  The Onge , also Önge or Ongee, are one of the Andamanese adivasi indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal. They are sometimes classified as "Negritos". They were formerly distributed across Little Andaman Island and the nearby islets, with some territory and camps...
  
  , in the Andaman Islands
  Andaman Islands
  The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
  
  
• Haplogroup M32 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M32.htm - found in Andaman Islands
• Haplogroup M33 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M33.htm - small clade found in South Asia and Belarus
  • Haplogroup M33a - found in Gujarat, India
• Haplogroup M34 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M34.htm - small clade found in South Asia
  • Haplogroup M34a - found in Karnataka
    Karnataka
    Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
    
    , India
• Haplogroup M35 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M35.htm - small clade found in South Asia and Slovakia
• Haplogroup M39 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M39.htm - found in South Asia
• Haplogroup M40 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M40.htm - found in South Asia
• Haplogroup M41 - found in South Asia
  • Haplogroup M41b - found in Andhra Pradesh
    Andhra Pradesh
    Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
    
    , India
  • Haplogroup M41c - found in Andrah Pradesh, India
• Haplogroup M42 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M42.htm - found among Australian Abrorigines
• Haplogroup M48 http://www.ianlogan.co.uk/discussion/hap_M48.htm - rare clade found at least in Saudi Arabia
• Haplogroup D
  Haplogroup D (mtDNA)
  In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup D is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup D is believed to have arisen in Asia some 48,000 years before present. It is a descendant haplogroup of haplogroup M.-Distribution:...
  
   - found in Eastern Eurasia, Native Americans, Central Asia and occasionally also in West Asia and Northern Europe.

Tree

This phylogenetic tree of haplogroup M subclades is based on the paper by Mannis van Oven and Manfred Kayser Updated comprehensive phylogenetic tree of global human mitochondrial DNA variation and subsequent published research.

• M
  • M1
    • M1a
      • M1a1
        • M1a1a
        • M1a1b
          • M1a1b1
        • M1a1c
        • M1a1d
        • M1a1e
        • M1a1f
      • M1a2
        • M1a2a
        • M1a2b
      • M1a3
        • M1a3a
        • M1a3b
      • M1a4
      • M1a5
    • M1b
      • M1b1
        • M1b1a
      • M1b2
        • M1b2a
  • M2
    • M2a
      • M2a1
      • M2a2
      • M2a3
    • M2b
      • M2b1
      • M2b2
  • M3
    • M3a
  • M4"45
    • M4
      • M4a
      • M4b
        • M4b1
    • M18'38
      • M18
      • M38
    • M30
      Haplogroup M30 (mtDNA)
      In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup M30 is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup M30 is a South-Asian or an India-specific maternal lineage of the macrohaplogroup M identified by the mutations T195A, G15431A and G12007A .Haplogroup M30 used to be a part of M4...
      
      
      • M30a
      • M30b
      • M30c
        • M30c1
          • M30c1a
            • M30c1a1
      • M30d
    • M37
      • M37a
    • M43
    • M45
  • M5
    • M5a
      • M5a1
        • M5a1a
        • M5a1b
      • M5a2
        • M5a2a
  • M6
  • M7
    • M7a
      • M7a1
        • M7a1a
          • M7a1a1
            • M7a1a1a
          • M7a1a2
          • M7a1a3
          • M7a1a4
            • M7a1a4a
          • M7a1a5
          • M7a1a6
          • M7a1a7
        • M7a1b
      • M7a2
        • M7a2a
        • M7a2b
    • M7b'c'd'e
      • M7b'd
        • M7b
          • M7b1'2
            • M7b1
            • M7b2
              • M7b2a
              • M7b2b
              • M7b2c
          • M7b3
            • M7b3a
        • M7d
      • M7c'e
        • M7c
          • M7c1
            • M7c1a
            • M7c1b
              • M7c1b1
          • M7c2
            • M7c2a
          • M7c3
            • M7c3a
            • M7c3b
            • M7c3c
        • M7e
  • M8
    • M8a
      • M8a1
      • M8a2
        • M8a2a
        • M8a2b
    • CZ
      Haplogroup CZ (mtDNA)
      In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup CZ is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup CZ is a descendant of haplogroup M and is a parent to haplogroups C and Z. Haplogroup CZ is divided into subclades C and Z.-Distribution:...
      
      
      • C
        Haplogroup C (mtDNA)
        In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup C is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup C is believed to have arisen somewhere between the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal some 60,000 years before present. It is a descendant of the haplogroup M.-Distribution:Haplogroup C is found in...
        
        
      • Z
        Haplogroup Z (mtDNA)
        In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup Z is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup Z is believed to have arisen in Central Asia, and is a descendant of haplogroup CZ.-Distribution:...
        
        
  • M9
    • M9a'b'c'd
      • M9a'c'd
        • M9a'd
          • M9a
            • M9a1
            • M9a2
            • M9a3
          • M9d
        • M9c
      • M9b
    • E
      Haplogroup E (mtDNA)
      In human mitochondrial genetics, haplogroup E is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup typical for the Malay Archipelago. It is a subgroup of haplogroup M9.-Origin:...
      
      
  • M10'42
    • M10
      • M10a
        • M10a1
        • M10a2
    • M42
      • M42a
  • M11
    • M11a
    • M11b
  • M12'G
    • M12
      • M12a
    • G
      Haplogroup G (mtDNA)
      In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup G is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup G is a descendant of haplogroup M. Haplogroup G is divided into subclades G1 and G2a, which represent the Koryaks and Itelmen.-Distribution:...
      
      
  • M13
    • M13a
      • M13a1
  • M14
  • M15
  • M21
    • M21a'b
      • M21a
      • M21b
    • M21c'd
      • M21c
      • M21d
  • M22
  • M23
  • M25
  • M27
    • M27a
    • M27b
    • M27c
  • M28
    • M28a
    • M28b
  • M29'Q
    • M29
      • M29a
      • M29b
    • Q
      Haplogroup Q (mtDNA)
      In human mitochondrial genetics, haplogroup Q is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup typical for Oceania. It is a subgroup of haplogroup M29'Q.-Distribution:...
      
      
  • M31'32
    • M31
      • M31a
        • M31a1
          • M31a1a
          • M31a1b
        • M31a2
          • M31a2a
      • M31b
      • M31c
    • M32
      • M32a
  • M33
    • M33a
    • M33b
    • M33c
  • M34
    • M34a
  • M35
    • M35a
    • M35b
  • M36
    • M36a
  • M39
    • M39a
  • M40
    • M40a
  • M41
  • M44'52
    • M44
    • M52
  • M46
  • M47'50
    • M47
    • M50
  • M48
  • M49
  • M51
  • D
    Haplogroup D (mtDNA)
    In human mitochondrial genetics, Haplogroup D is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup.-Origin:Haplogroup D is believed to have arisen in Asia some 48,000 years before present. It is a descendant haplogroup of haplogroup M.-Distribution:...
    
    

See also

• Genealogical DNA test
  Genealogical DNA test
  A genealogical DNA test examines the nucleotides at specific locations on a person's DNA for genetic genealogy purposes. The test results are not meant to have any informative medical value and do not determine specific genetic diseases or disorders ; they are intended only to give genealogical...
  
  
• Genetic Genealogy
  Genetic genealogy
  Genetic genealogy is the application of genetics to traditional genealogy. Genetic genealogy involves the use of genealogical DNA testing to determine the level of genetic relationship between individuals.-History:...
  
  
• Human mitochondrial genetics
  Human mitochondrial genetics
  Human mitochondrial genetics is the study of the genetics of the DNA contained in human mitochondria. Mitochondria are small structures in cells that generate energy for the cell to use, and are hence referred to as the "powerhouses" of the cell....
  
  
• Population Genetics
  Population genetics
  Population genetics is the study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four main evolutionary processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow. It also takes into account the factors of recombination, population subdivision and population...
  
  
• Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups
  Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups
  In human genetics, a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by differences in human mitochondrial DNA. Haplogroups are used to represent the major branch points on the mitochondrial phylogenetic tree...
  
  

External links

• General
  • Ian Logan's Mitochondrial DNA Site
  • The India DNA geographical project at Family Tree DNA
  • The China DNA geographical project at Family Tree DNA
• Haplogroup M
  • Mannis van Oven's PhyloTree.org - mtDNA subtree M
  • Spread of Haplogroup M, from National Geographic
  • Tree of M haplogroup as for 2006
  • Haplogroup M (mtDNA) interest group on Facebook
    Facebook
    Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
    
    
  • Another tree emphasizing the Andamanese and Nicobarese populations in comparison with other peoples with high M presence
  • K.Tharanghaj et al. In situ origin of deep rooting lineages of mitochondrial Macrohaplogroup M in India (PDF document)