Description
Mitochondrial haplogroup W is a relatively rare N-derived lineage found at low frequencies across West Eurasia, with a notable concentration in South Asia and Finland. W is thought to have originated in the Near East or northwestern South Asia and spread westward into Europe, where it persists at low levels (~1–2%) with a higher presence in Finland (~8%). In South Asia, W is found at 5–9% among some populations and is considered one of the West Eurasian-related lineages that entered the subcontinent. W's limited geographic reach and low frequency reflect either a relatively late origin or a history of genetic drift in small founding populations.
Interesting Fact
The comparatively high frequency of W in Finland (~8%) compared to most of Europe (~1–2%) is thought to reflect a founder effect during the Neolithic settlement of the Baltic region, where a small group of W-carrying ancestors left a disproportionately large maternal legacy in the Finnish population.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finns | Northern Europe | n=400 | |
| South Asians (Northwest) | South Asia | n=600 | |
| Iranians | Near East | n=500 | |
| Georgians | Caucasus | n=250 | |
| Europeans (average) | Europe | n=5000 |
Tags
References
- Torroni et al. (2006) — Harvesting the fruit of the human mtDNA tree. Trends in Genetics 22(6), 339–345.
- Palanichamy et al. (2004) — Phylogeny of mitochondrial DNA macrohaplogroup N in India, based on complete sequencing. American Journal of Human Genetics 75(6), 966–978.
- Soares et al. (2010) — The archaeogenetics of Europe. Current Biology 20(4), R174–R183.