Description
Haplogroup L3a is a subclade of L3 that remained in Africa while the better-known L3-derived lineages (M and N) expanded out of Africa. L3a is found predominantly in East Africa, particularly among Ethiopian and Somali populations, where it reaches frequencies of ~10–15%. L3a is concentrated in the Horn of Africa region, consistent with its likely origin near the East African crossroads where the Out-of-Africa migration originated approximately 65,000–70,000 years ago. L3a represents the African side of the L3 diversification event that produced the most consequential branch point in the entire human mtDNA tree.
Interesting Fact
L3a's presence in Ethiopia alongside L3's descendants M and N in the same geographic region — the Horn of Africa — is consistent with L3 diversifying in East Africa before the Out-of-Africa migration took its M and N descendant lineages worldwide. Ethiopia has the highest diversity of L3 sub-branches of any country in the world, supporting the view that this region was the staging ground for one of humanity's most consequential migrations.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopians (Amhara/Oromo) | East Africa | n=300 | |
| Somalis | East Africa | n=200 | |
| Djiboutians | East Africa | n=100 | |
| Sudanese | Northeast Africa | n=200 |
Tags
References
- Kivisild et al. (2004) — Ethiopian mitochondrial DNA heritage: tracking gene flow across and around the gate of tears. American Journal of Human Genetics 75(5), 752–770.
- Soares et al. (2012) — The expansion of mtDNA haplogroup L3 within and out of Africa. Molecular Biology and Evolution 29(3), 915–927.