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How do researchers trace mitochondrial DNA over centuries?

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by

mwkruse
in ,

From Scientific American:  How do researchers trace mitochondrial DNA over centuries?

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is passed from a mother to her children. Fathers cannot pass on their mtDNA, only the extra genetic information on their Y chromosome. Because mtDNA only comes from the mother, it does not change very much, if at all, from generation to generation. Mutations do occur, but not very often–less frequently than once per 100 people. Therefore, a person's mtDNA is probably identical to that of his or her direct maternal ancestor a dozen generations ago, and this fact can be used to connect people across decades. For example, if a particular type of mtDNA was found primarily in Africa, then we could conclude that people from elsewhere in the world who had that type of mtDNA had a maternal ancestor from Africa.

This stuff is so cool it almost makes me want to become a biologist. (The operative word would be "almost.")

Comments

6 responses to “How do researchers trace mitochondrial DNA over centuries?”

  1. Jinny Avatar
    Jinny

    It is interesting, isn’t it? 🙂 Did you find the report about tracing back to only 3 women? Noah’s Ark, man! 😉

    Reply
  2. Michael Kruse Avatar
    Michael Kruse

    What I had read came from Hugh Ross’ “The Genesis Questiion.” He says that the DNA points back to one man about 35,000-47,000 years ago. The DNA points to a first woman that is thousands of years earlier, possibly tens of thousands earlier. If the flood story is accurate, Noah is the common male ancestor for all living human beings. But there are four women to trace back to. The wives of Noah’s three known sons and Noah’s wife. (Don’t know if Noah had unmentioned daughters.) There independent lines would trace back to Eve, thus the more distant date. I think the number of years has back has been extended back a little for both men and women but the same dynamic is in play.
    Very interesting!

    Reply
  3. Jinny Avatar
    Jinny

    Well, the problem with that would be: Noah didn’t have any more kids after the flood, the mtDNA only comes from mom, so the 3 women would be the wives of his sons, NOT Noah’s wife. (no unmentioned daughters–every other pre-Noah person in Gen 5 “had other sons and daughters,” that’s the Hebrew, not a gender-neutral English translation–Noah’s children are only the 3 boys Gen. 9:28-29 doens’t follow Gen 5’s pattern).

    Reply
  4. Michael Kruse Avatar
    Michael Kruse

    Clearly only Noah his wife, his sons and his wife were on the ark. And I agree that the sons are the ones mentioned as having descendants.
    I am thinking back more to the question of up to what age did these women living to be several hundred years old have children? It is possbile that Noah had daughters after the flood who married grandsons. There is nothing that suggests that but there is also nothing that absolutely precludes it. So I am living the door open a tiny crack that there could be four.

    Reply
  5. Jinny Avatar
    Jinny

    LOL. Or more. What if Noah’s sons were polygamist? The number of wives was never mentioned….
    Note also how the genealogies from Ham, Japeth, and Shem are only mentioning sons (Starts with: these are the sons of…). We can assume there were daughters born in there, too. It’s a bit tricky taking things literally. 😉

    Reply
  6. Michael Kruse Avatar
    Michael Kruse

    Yes indeedy!

    Reply

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