Description
Mitochondrial haplogroup H is by far the most common mtDNA haplogroup in Europe, accounting for roughly 40–50% of European maternal lineages. It likely originated in the Near East around 25,000 BCE and expanded into Europe in multiple waves — first as hunter-gatherers during the Upper Paleolithic, and later reinforced by Neolithic farmers and Bronze Age steppe migrations. H is subdivided into numerous branches (H1 through H95+), each with distinct geographic distributions.
Interesting Fact
Ötzi the Iceman, the 5,300-year-old mummy found in the Alps, belongs to mtDNA haplogroup K, but his closest modern maternal relatives are found in Sardinia and isolated Alpine villages — a striking example of how ancient populations can persist in geographic refugia.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basques | Western Europe | n=200 | |
| Spanish | Western Europe | n=700 | |
| French | Western Europe | n=600 | |
| Swedes | Northern Europe | n=400 | |
| Germans | Central Europe | n=800 | |
| Russians | Eastern Europe | n=900 | |
| Iranians | Middle East | n=500 | |
| Egyptians | North Africa | n=400 |
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References
- Torroni et al. (2006) — Harvesting the fruit of the human mtDNA tree. Trends in Genetics 22(6), 339–345.
- Soares et al. (2010) — The archaeogenetics of Europe. Current Biology 20(4), R174–R183.
- Richards et al. (2000) — Tracing European founder lineages in the Near Eastern mtDNA pool. American Journal of Human Genetics 67(5).