Description
Mitochondrial haplogroup X is one of the rarest and most enigmatic of the founding lineages found in the Americas. X2 — the dominant subclade — shows a puzzling trans-oceanic distribution: it is found in West Eurasian populations (Druze 26%, Georgians 8%, Near Easterners 3–5%) and also among certain North American Native peoples, most notably the Ojibwe and other Algonquian-speaking groups (up to 25%). The absence of X in Siberian and East Asian populations — the expected stepping-stone for Beringian migration — makes its presence in North America one of the great unsolved mysteries of population genetics. The leading hypothesis is that X entered North America as part of the founding Beringian migration but has since been lost from Siberian populations.
Interesting Fact
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Druze | Near East (Lebanon/Israel) | n=120 | |
| Ojibwe | Americas (Great Lakes) | n=60 | |
| Georgians | Caucasus | n=250 | |
| Algonquian peoples (average) | Americas (Northeast) | n=300 | |
| Near Easterners (average) | Near East | n=1000 | |
| Europeans (average) | Europe | n=5000 |
Tags
References
- Brown et al. (1998) — mtDNA haplogroup X: an ancient link between Europe/western Asia and North America? American Journal of Human Genetics 63(6), 1852–1861.
- Reidla et al. (2003) — Origin and diffusion of mtDNA haplogroup X. American Journal of Human Genetics 73(5), 1178–1190.
- Fagundes et al. (2008) — Mitochondrial population genomics supports a single pre-Clovis origin with a coastal route for the peopling of the Americas. American Journal of Human Genetics 82(3), 583–592.