Human and mtDNA variation

In 1997, German researchers isolated DNA fragments from a 30,000 year old Neandertal bone. The fragments came from the Neandertal's mitochondria energy-producing organelles scattered in large numbers throughout cells. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been used for human evolutionary studies since the 1970s. When comparing Neandertal and human mtDNA, researchers found that the differences between the sequences put Neandertals outside the range of variation of modern humans.

human evolutionary studies,neandertal bone,dna fragments,german researchers,organelles,mitochondria,large numbers,sequences,variation,cells,1970s

  • ID: 15975
  • Source: DNALC.DNAi

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15976. Neandertal and human (mtDNA)

When comparing Neandertal and human mtDNA, researchers found that the differences between the sequences put Neandertals outside the range of variation of modern humans.

  • ID: 15976
  • Source: DNAi

15979. A mitochondrial DNA sequence

Human mitochondrial DNA is 16,569 base pairs in length.

  • ID: 15979
  • Source: DNAi

15974. Chimp and human (mtDNA)

In 1967, Allan Wilson and Vince Sarich published their estimate that the human lineage had separated from the great apes five million years ago.

  • ID: 15974
  • Source: DNAi

15977. Maternal inheritance

Unlike nuclear DNA, mtDNA is  inherited solely from the mother. (Mitochondria are predominantly from the mother’s egg and not from the father’s sperm.) Therefore, mtDNA sequences or orders of nucleotides generally remain constant over many generation

  • ID: 15977
  • Source: DNAi

16095. Chimp, Human, Neandertal HVR1

Variation between mtDNA (HVR1) samples from chimp, Neandertal and human.

  • ID: 16095
  • Source: DNALC.DNAi

15978. Mitochondrial DNA: a closer look

DNA found in the mitochondrion of a cell differs in structure and is separate from the DNA found in the cell nucleus. Mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, exists as a circular loop of double-stranded DNA rather than the linear form found in nuclear DNA. However,

  • ID: 15978
  • Source: DNAi

16647. Higher cells incorporate an ancient chromosome.

DNAFTB Animation 30: Ivan Wallin presents his idea that mitochondria and chloroplasts were once free-living organisms.

  • ID: 16647
  • Source: DNALC.DNAFTB

15922. Early DNA sequencing

Two sequencing techniques were developed independently in the 1970s. The method developed by Fred Sanger used chemically altered "dideoxy" bases to terminate newly synthesized DNA fragments at specific bases (either A, C, T, or G). These fragments are th

  • ID: 15922
  • Source: DNAi

15603. DNA amplified from Neandertal bones

An image representing DNA amplified from Neandertal bones.

  • ID: 15603
  • Source: DNAi

15912. Sequencing DNA

Techniques to read the sequence of DNA, letter by letter, have been available since the 1970s. However, the massive task of sequencing the three billion basepairs of the human genome required machines that could read and interpret the data.

  • ID: 15912
  • Source: DNAi