General mtDNA Questions

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Could someone please answer, or direct me to an answer, to the following questions:

1. Is the mtDNA sequence of the mitochondrial Eve known?

2. If so, why don't we compare with that instead of the CRS?

3. In the universe of known mtDNA HVR1 haplotypes, what is the 'Range'? (ie., 0 to 20 differences? More?)

4. Is there any significance to fewer or more differences?

And a more specific question. What is the significance of 126C 294T 296T 304C?

Thanks.

[T E Peterman]

You raise some good questions. Some of the sequence of mtDNA Eve has been extrapolated by comparing that of her modern descendants.

I think it would make sense to some day replace the CRS (derived from a descendant of Helena) with the archetypal CRS postulated for Eve. We could then report mutations that are different from Eve.

In the broader study of mtDNA, they had to start some place, just so that they could catalog differences & similarities in modern mtDNA.

Timothy Peterman

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the help. Anyone else have anything to add?

[jaken24]

I can only answer one of your questions, that being number 3. I think you want to know how many haplotypes (HVR1) have been discovered or "typed".
If that is what you want to know here is the place to find out. Be advised that this site is 5 years old, there may be more!

http:..http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/~vincent/...00/tableA.html

Happy Hunting
Jeffrey Stewart
H3 and still searching