Description
Haplogroup M1 is a remarkable subclade of M that undertook a back-migration from Asia into Northeast Africa and the Near East, making it the only M-derived lineage found at significant frequencies in Africa. M1 is most common in Ethiopia (~20%), Somalia (~15%), Egypt (~10%), and among Berber populations of North Africa (~10%). Unlike other M subclades which predominantly mark South and East Asian lineages, M1 appears to represent an ancient re-migration from southwestern Asia (possibly the Arabian Peninsula or the Levant) back into Africa via the Horn of Africa, reversing part of the Out-of-Africa trajectory.
Interesting Fact
M1 is sometimes called the 'return migrant' haplogroup — it is a branch of M, which itself originated in Asia from the Out-of-Africa migration, but M1 subsequently migrated back into Africa from the Near East. This reversal, detectable in the mtDNA, provides direct genetic evidence that prehistoric humans moved not just out of Africa but also back into it — a 'southern route back-migration' that brought Asian-derived mtDNA to the Horn of Africa tens of thousands of years ago.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopians (Oromo/Amhara) | East Africa | n=300 | |
| Somalis | East Africa | n=200 | |
| Egyptians | North Africa | n=300 | |
| Berbers (Moroccan/Algerian) | North Africa | n=300 | |
| Saudis | Arabian Peninsula | n=250 |
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References
- González et al. (2007) — Mitochondrial lineage M1 traces an early human backflow to Africa. BMC Genomics 8, 223.
- 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.
- Olivieri et al. (2006) — The mtDNA legacy of the Levantine early Upper Palaeolithic in Africa. Science 314(5806), 1767–1770.