Haplogroup X
Haplogroup X represents a minor founding lineage in Native Americans. Approximately 97% of Native American mtDNAs belong to one of four major founding mtDNA lineages, designated A to D (Haplogroup A, Haplogroup B, Haplogroup C, Haplogroup D).
Unlike haplogroups A-D (Haplogroup A, Haplogroup B, Haplogroup C, Haplogroup D), Haplogroup X is also found at low frequencies in modern European populations.
There is a consensus haplogroup X motif that characterizes our European and Native American samples.
Among Native Americans, haplogroup X appears to be essentially restricted to northern Amerindian groups, including the Ojibwa, the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, the Sioux, and the Yakima, although we also observed this haplogroup in the Na-Dene-speaking Navajo. (9837837)
European and Native American haplogroup X mtDNAs, although distinct, nevertheless are distantly related to each other. (9837837)
Time estimates for the arrival of X in North America are 12,000-36,000 years ago, depending on the number of assumed founders, thus supporting the conclusion that the peoples harboring haplogroup X were among the original founders of Native American populations. (9837837)
To date, haplogroup X has not been unambiguously identified in Asia, raising the possibility that some Native American founders were of Caucasian ancestry. (9837837)
See also
RFLP analysis
References
Reidla M, Kivisild T, Metspalu E, Kaldma K, Tambets K, Tolk HV, Parik J, Loogvali EL, Derenko M, Malyarchuk B, Bermisheva M, Zhadanov S, Pennarun E, Gubina M, Golubenko M, Damba L, Fedorova S, Gusar V, Grechanina E, Mikerezi I, Moisan JP, Chaventre A, Khusnutdinova E, Osipova L, Stepanov V, Voevoda M, Achilli A, Rengo C, Rickards O, De Stefano GF, Papiha S, Beckman L, Janicijevic B, Rudan P, Anagnou N, Michalodimitrakis E, Koziel S, Usanga E, Geberhiwot T, Herrnstadt C, Howell N, Torroni A, Villems R. Origin and Diffusion of mtDNA Haplogroup X. Am J Hum Genet. 2003 Nov;73(6):1178-90. Epub 2003 Oct 20. PMID: 14574647
Derenko MV, Grzybowski T, Malyarchuk BA, Czarny J, Miscicka-Sliwka D, Zakharov IA. The presence of mitochondrial haplogroup x in Altaians from South Siberia. Am J Hum Genet. 2001 Jul;69(1):237-41. PMID: 11410843
Smith DG, Malhi RS, Eshleman J, Lorenz JG, Kaestle FA. Distribution of mtDNA haplogroup X among Native North Americans. Am J Phys Anthropol. 1999 Nov;110(3):271-84. PMID: 10516561
Brown MD, Hosseini SH, Torroni A, Bandelt HJ, Allen JC, Schurr TG, Scozzari R, Cruciani F, Wallace DC. mtDNA haplogroup X: An ancient link between Europe/Western Asia and North America? Am J Hum Genet. 1998 Dec;63(6):1852-61. PMID: 9837837