Description
Mitochondrial haplogroup G is an M-derived lineage concentrated in Northeast Asia, particularly among Japanese, Mongolian, Korean, Manchu, and Tibetan populations. It is rare outside of East and Northeast Asia. Subclade G2a is especially prevalent in Japan and among the Ainu people of Hokkaido, suggesting a deep association with populations that inhabited Japan before the Yayoi agricultural expansion. Haplogroup G is also found at moderate frequencies among Mongolian, Buryat, and Tungusic-speaking Siberian groups.
Interesting Fact
Haplogroup G2a is found at elevated frequencies among the Ainu — the indigenous people of Japan — as well as in some Nivkh and Siberian groups, connecting them to an ancient Northeast Asian maternal lineage that predates the major agricultural expansions of the Holocene.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ainu | East Asia (Hokkaido) | n=80 | |
| Manchu | East Asia | n=150 | |
| Tibetans | Central Asia | n=300 | |
| Japanese | East Asia | n=1000 | |
| Mongolians | Central Asia | n=400 | |
| Koreans | East Asia | n=600 |
Tags
References
- Kivisild et al. (2002) — The emerging limbs and twigs of the East Asian mtDNA tree. Molecular Biology and Evolution 19(10), 1737–1751.
- Tajima et al. (2004) — Genetic origins of the Ainu inferred from combined DNA analyses of maternal and paternal lineages. Journal of Human Genetics 49, 187–193.
- Derenko et al. (2007) — Phylogeographic analysis of mitochondrial DNA in northern Asian populations. American Journal of Human Genetics 81(5), 1025–1041.