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Hi all,
The mtDNA Haplogroup K Project at FamilyTreeDNA reached a new milestone on May 25, with 150 members only four months and two weeks after its founding. The last time I checked, we were still the largest mtDNA haplogroup project at FTDNA, although K represents less than 10% of the population. Sixty-six of the members came originally from the National Geographic Society's Genographic Project, including 28 of the last 50. Only 38 of the first 100 members had come from the Genographic Project. I think that a very high percentage of FTDNA's original customer base were men testing Y-DNA in surname projects. Women mainly joined projects by sponsoring male relatives. Probably many mtDNA tests were taken more or less as an afterthought. But with the Genographic Project, women can only test their mtDNA, while men can test both types, resulting in a much higher percentage of mtDNA tests than in the past.
Ninety-seven, or almost 65%, have HVR1 plus HVR2, or high-resolution, results. That's higher than I've seen before and much higher than in my MitoSearch surveys. We now have 13 sets of high-res matches, including 36 members. With the 61 un-matched high-res "singletons," there are 74 different haplotypes, for what I've been calling a "diversity percentage" of 76%. Ann Turner has informed me that the correct scientific term for this number is "discrimination capacity." OK. Two of the sets of matches have five members each. There are also four sets of HVR1-only matches, not counting those with just the three basic HVR1 mutations for K. 105 members have uploaded their data to MitoSearch. Three members have received results and subclade designations from full-sequence tests, with one more in progress.
I have posted a new chart which contains the basic data from the project website, but sorted by HVR2 then HVR1 mutations, with matches noted. The HVR1 and HVR2 mutations highlighted in yellow are still those with the 498- and 16320T mutations, suggesting K1c and K1c2 subclades. Those in green are still those in Dr. Doron Behar's "Ashkenazi" subclades. A difference this time is that I have used turquoise to mark the 524 series of HVR2 insertions. Note first that we now have two members who have six of those insertions each. I've only seen one other such combination, on the haplogroup I project website. More importantly, note that the 524 insertions do not, with one exception, appear in the haplotypes marked in yellow or green. The one exception is also missing two required mutations for subclade K1c2, so his 16320T mutation is probably a random or personal mutation, rather than a defining mutation. The new chart is at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....kp150chart.htm
The K Project website is at http://www.familytreedna.com/public/mtDNA_K/ Don't forget to look at the map below the chart on the mtDNA Results tab. So far, 46 members have added their distant maternal ancestors' counties of origin coordinates; 31 in Europe and 15 in North America. Those tested as being in haplogroup K may join the project by clicking the blue Join button on their FTDNA personal page.
Bill Hurst
The mtDNA Haplogroup K Project at FamilyTreeDNA reached a new milestone on May 25, with 150 members only four months and two weeks after its founding. The last time I checked, we were still the largest mtDNA haplogroup project at FTDNA, although K represents less than 10% of the population. Sixty-six of the members came originally from the National Geographic Society's Genographic Project, including 28 of the last 50. Only 38 of the first 100 members had come from the Genographic Project. I think that a very high percentage of FTDNA's original customer base were men testing Y-DNA in surname projects. Women mainly joined projects by sponsoring male relatives. Probably many mtDNA tests were taken more or less as an afterthought. But with the Genographic Project, women can only test their mtDNA, while men can test both types, resulting in a much higher percentage of mtDNA tests than in the past.
Ninety-seven, or almost 65%, have HVR1 plus HVR2, or high-resolution, results. That's higher than I've seen before and much higher than in my MitoSearch surveys. We now have 13 sets of high-res matches, including 36 members. With the 61 un-matched high-res "singletons," there are 74 different haplotypes, for what I've been calling a "diversity percentage" of 76%. Ann Turner has informed me that the correct scientific term for this number is "discrimination capacity." OK. Two of the sets of matches have five members each. There are also four sets of HVR1-only matches, not counting those with just the three basic HVR1 mutations for K. 105 members have uploaded their data to MitoSearch. Three members have received results and subclade designations from full-sequence tests, with one more in progress.
I have posted a new chart which contains the basic data from the project website, but sorted by HVR2 then HVR1 mutations, with matches noted. The HVR1 and HVR2 mutations highlighted in yellow are still those with the 498- and 16320T mutations, suggesting K1c and K1c2 subclades. Those in green are still those in Dr. Doron Behar's "Ashkenazi" subclades. A difference this time is that I have used turquoise to mark the 524 series of HVR2 insertions. Note first that we now have two members who have six of those insertions each. I've only seen one other such combination, on the haplogroup I project website. More importantly, note that the 524 insertions do not, with one exception, appear in the haplotypes marked in yellow or green. The one exception is also missing two required mutations for subclade K1c2, so his 16320T mutation is probably a random or personal mutation, rather than a defining mutation. The new chart is at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....kp150chart.htm
The K Project website is at http://www.familytreedna.com/public/mtDNA_K/ Don't forget to look at the map below the chart on the mtDNA Results tab. So far, 46 members have added their distant maternal ancestors' counties of origin coordinates; 31 in Europe and 15 in North America. Those tested as being in haplogroup K may join the project by clicking the blue Join button on their FTDNA personal page.
Bill Hurst
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