Recently, I took a challenge of finding my ancestral origin using the modern technology of Mitochondrial DNA research. I signed up at geentree.com and paid $150. They sent me a mouth wash to take DNA samples in my saliva. I sent the kit back to the lab after I spitted in the little cup and waited about a month. While I was wondering when my result is going to come, I recieved an email telling me that my DNA is unlocked and I could see the test results by signing to my account.
voilà - my predicted ancestral origins - Haplogroup: L3 Subgroup: L3f.
What does this haplo-bablo crap mean?
Well, this is the scientists explanation.
“Haplogroup L is known as the first derivative of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in modern humans. When looking at the evolution of mtDNA through history, haplogroup L is linked to the theory of ‘Mitochondrial Eve.’ This name has been given to the woman (better women) carrying the ancestral mtDNA of modern Homo sapiens approximately 200,000 years ago; haplogroup L is the first variation from these original women. Eight existing derivations exist within haplogroup L. These derivates are known as L0, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6 and L7.
“Haplogroup L3 originated in East Africa about 85,000 years ago and it was very successful in giving rise to many descendant haplogroups. Most likely, this event occurred in the Horn of Africa because the richest branching around haplogroup L3 is reflected in modern Ethiopian samples, in contrast to the somewhat narrower mitochondrial pools of other sub-Saharan Africa regions.
“The root of L3 starts from a single haplotype and forks into a number of distinct subclades of African origins such as L3a, L3b, L3c L3d, L3e, L3i, L3k, L3x, L3f and L3h. Haplotypes belonging to L3b, L3d and part of L3e are found mainly in western Africa with a few types shared with eastern, southeastern, and, for the L3b subclade, west-central Africa. L3e is also present in west-central Africa with some of its lineages largely matching southeastern African groups. This may imply an origin either in southeastern Africa, or somewhere on the west-central coast of Africa, between Cameroon and Angola.
“Moreover, L3 is also the haplogroup from which the haplogroups M and N have arisen covering the mtDNA pool of all non-African lineages.
“The simplest explanation for haplogroup L3 geographical distribution is an expansion of the root type within East Africa, where several independent L3 branches flourished. This was followed by the so called “African exit” and the divergence into haplogroups M and N somewhere between the Horn of Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Since neither the L3 root type nor any other descendants survived outside of Africa, the root type itself must have become extinct during a period of genetic drift in the original population. Later, it diversified into haplogroups M and N, granted that the diversification indeed took place outside of the African continent.”
I wanted to learn more about Haplogroup L3 and did some google search and here is some info I got.
Very interesting and thank you for explaining “Haplogroup: L3 Subgroup: L3f”. That saves you from trouble
I will google more about it, even get myself tested .
^^ One thing I didn’t like about it though was they are not too specific….like they can’t tell you that you’re from Oromia LOL
But that is understandable….It makes more sense for African Americans, Carribeans or other African diaspora in South America and other parts of the world to take the test than Africans because the test will tell you the same thing that you have alwys known. But if you have $99 dollar to spare, it’s worth the try.