Saami Mitochondrial DNA Reveals Deep Maternal Lineage Clusters

• Published in: Human Heredity
• Main Authors: Delghandi, Madjid, Utsi, Egil, Krauss, Stefan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: S. Karger AG 1998
• Subjects: Norway; saami
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000022789; https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/22789

The mitochondrial DNA of 62 Saami from the north of Norway was analyzed in the D loop hypervariable region I and II and sequences were compared to other gene pools. Two major (lineage 1 and 2) and two minor (lineage 3 and 4) maternal lineage clusters were found. Lineage 1 (56.9% of all hitherto analyzed Saami samples) contains a substantial number of branching haplotypes which are unknown in European gene pools. Lineage 2 (31.5%) and lineage 4 (3.6%) have few branching points and are present at a low rate throughout European gene pools. Lineage 3 (4.7%) has polymorphisms characteristic of circumpolar lineages.