What should I know about MtDNA haplogroups in Europe?

[Albion]

I feel in that the MtDNA haplogroups don't receive nearly as much attention as the Y-DNA which probably comes down to forum demographics and the differences between the genders in the interest shown to haplogroups.

But studying one without the other only tells half the story, it appears to me to be a quite male-dominated science / interest, but I for one would like to know the prehistory and origins of our womenfolk as well.

My understanding of the haplogroups can be described as "beginner", so I'm here now asking for a crash course in MTDNA - what should I know about it?

Are there any interesting anomalies, regional patterns and where did the different haplogroups come from?

I found a map of the MtDNA haplogroups. I drew a few lines for regional patterns I picked out but there are a few anomalies which I think need accounting for (highlighted on the map with "?").

1. How is Iceland so diverse in haplogroups compared to Scandinavia and the British Isles? I'd expect the percentages to mirror the British Isles due to the nature of the settlement.
2. Why are the Catalan countries and Galicia so different from the rest of Iberia?
3. The Sami - ancient haplogroups isolated from newcomers?
4. Caucasian and Anatolian haplogroups - diverse due to the age of the settlement or due to isolation in mountains?

And a few more questions:

• Why are the MtDNA groups so much more diverse than Y-DNA? Is it because certain groups of men bred more enabling Y-DNA to become less diverse and be more dominated by larger haplogroups? (I did read something suggesting that R1b Y-DNA may have led to the chance of an increase ratio of male offspring).
• And what MtDNA group do you carry (if you know) and what is interesting about it?
• And H in western Europe seems to dominate in a similar way to R1b in Y-DNA - did R1b men from the Basque LGM refuge take with them H women?
• V - did it develop in Iberia, spread along the Atlantic with the post-LGM colonists and dominate and become isolate in Lappland whilst being largely replaced elsewhere?

[Damião de Góis]

I am J1c1 and i have no idea on how it got here. 23andme consider it a northern european haplogroup that originated in the middle east:

Haplogroup: J1, a subgroup of J

Age: more than 38,000 years

Region: Europe, Near East

Populations: British, Scandinavians

Highlight: J1 spread from the Middle East all the way to Iceland.

I'm not totally convinced though. I wish i knew more about it.

[Pallantides]

I belong to mtDNA haplogroup N1a





N1a distribution

Komi-Permyaks 9.5%
Havyaka Brahmin 8.3%
Bashkirs 3.6%
Yemen 3.6%(other studies estimate 5.2% and 6.9%)
Saudi estimated from 2.4% to 4%
Ethiopia 2.2%
Chuvash 1.8%
Altaians 1.2%
Qatar 1.1%
Maasai 1%
Khanty 0.9%
Egypt 0.8%
Portugal 0.37%
Scotland 0.11%
Croatia mainland 0.7%, also 9.24% on the island of Cres and 1.9% in the island of Brač
Tatars 0.4%
Iran 0.3%( 8.3% in the north eastern steppe zone of Iran according to one study.)
Buryats 0.2%
Turkey 0.2%
Europe total 0.2%


Historical


Seven of 42 skeletons from Linear Pottery Culture sites were found to be members of the N1a haplogroup. N1a was also identified in remains from a 6200 year-old megalithic long mound near Prissé-la-Charrière, France.
A 2500 year old fossil of a Scytho-Siberian in the Altai Republic, easternmost representative of the Scythians, was found to be a member of N1a. A study of a 10th and 11th century Hungarians found that N1a was present in high-status individuals but absent from commoners. One of thirteen skeletons analyzed from a medieval cemetery dated 1250-1450 AD in Denmark was found to be a member of the haplogroup.

[Graham]

Is it lonely up there, to be a N1a in Norway Pallantides? Looking at the relative finder I have one N1a1 cousin and one N1b2.

My k1c2 probably came from Ireland, that's where most people have traced to with k1c2. Infact on the census, the maternal line goes to Ireland, but that's all I know.

[Pallantides]

Is it lonely up there, to be a N1a in Norway Pallantides? Looking at the relative finder I have one N1a1 cousin and one N1b2.

We are so rare because we are the elite

I have only one 23andMe 4th cousin with N1a, but they declined my invitation to share.

[Geni]

shit i am J(1c) ...mtDNA-J-map.pnga bit everywhere, but nowhere dominant ...

[DataType]

I am somewhat new to this subject, would you mind clearing up a few things?

If you are a male, how do you have mitochondrial DNA? Are you referring to your mother's or do you mean to say that types of mitochondrial DNA go hand in hand with types of Y-haplogroup DNA's?

Y-haplogroup DNA has a certain notation of [major haplogroup][terminal SNP]. Is terminal SNP a subcategory of the major haplogroup?--sort of like how all russet potatoes are potatoes, but not all potatoes are russets?

Thanks!

[Prisoner Of Ice]

V and I = original european.
j and k = jews and neolithic
H = barcelona atlantis
others = various riffraff

[Albion]

I am somewhat new to this subject, would you mind clearing up a few things?

If you are a male, how do you have mitochondrial DNA? Are you referring to your mother's or do you mean to say that types of mitochondrial DNA go hand in hand with types of Y-haplogroup DNA's?

Y-haplogroup DNA has a certain notation of [major haplogroup][terminal SNP]. Is terminal SNP a subcategory of the major haplogroup?--sort of like how all russet potatoes are potatoes, but not all potatoes are russets?

Thanks!

Males inherit X and Y whereas women are X and X, so males can take both tests whereas women have to get the father or brother to do a Y-DNA test.

[Artek]

V and I = original european