Description
Haplogroup U8 is an ancient subclade of mtDNA haplogroup U that includes the well-known European hunter-gatherer lineage K (formally U8b1a1a), along with less common U8a and U8b sub-branches. Haplogroup K — a descendant of U8 — is one of the most significant Neolithic European maternal lineages, strongly associated with the spread of farming from Anatolia into Europe. K is found at frequencies of 5–10% in modern European populations and was disproportionately common among early Neolithic European farmers in ancient DNA studies. The broader U8 lineage originates in the Near East / Europe during the Upper Paleolithic.
Interesting Fact
The famous 'Tyrolean Iceman' Ötzi (c. 3,300 BCE) carried haplogroup K1f — a subclade of K within U8. Analysis of his genome revealed that K lineages are closely related to modern Sardinian populations, consistent with his Anatolian Neolithic farmer ancestry and the survival of this lineage in genetic isolates.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jews | Europe / Near East | n=500 | |
| Sardinians | Southern Europe | n=400 | |
| Europeans (general) | Europe | n=3000 | |
| Near Easterners | Near East | n=800 |
Tags
References
- Kivisild et al. (2006) — The role of selection in the evolution of human mitochondrial genomes. Genetics 172(1), 373–387.