An interactive illustration of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) human family tree, showing the two major mtDNA lineages (African populations and African/non-African populations). In 1987, a Californian research team used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to construct a human family tree. Their tree had two distinct branches: one contained only African mtDNA types; and the second was a mixture of all population types. The branch with African mtDNA types was closest to the tree root. Using this data, the team traced the lineage of modern humans back to a common ancestor who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago. (DNAi location: Applications > Human Origins > Gene genealogy > Tracing ancestries > Tracing our maternal lineage)

rebecca cann,mitochondria dna,mark stoneking,mitochondrial dna,pedigree relationships,maternal lineage,african populations,interactive illustration,common ancestor,douglas wallace,human origins,distinct branches,african members,location applications,allan wilson,tree root,lineages,californian,human family tree,ancestry