Controversies in Science/Was there a mitochondrial Eve?/A critique of Evidence for mitochondrial DNA recombination in a human population of island Melanesia

(Review Paper) Cited in Controversies in Science/Was there a mitochondrial Eve?/A critique of Evidence for mitochondrial DNA recombination in a human population of island Melanesia

Points Made

452 people from the island of Nguna were identified as having separate mtDNA lineages. Their DNA type was found to be a recombination of mtDNA types of individuals in other remote areas which is highly unlikely. The asexual and cloned nature of mtDNA inheritance has resulted in mutations in offspring due to no diversions from common ancestors. .

Mutations were proven through phylogenetic analysis of multiple mtDNA lineages.

Methods

There were three different methods that were used – DNA analysis, Mitochondrial DNA analysis, and phylogenetic analysis of the DNA sequences. There were samples taken from 452 people from 16 different areas. The mitochondrial DNA analysis detected the 9-bp deletion by means of PCR analysis. The phylogenetic analysis is a substation model used to look at the nucleotide frequencies. There was a bootstrap analysis used to see the similarities in the haplotypes combinations I and II, I and III, and also on the combination II and III.

DNA differences cannot be used alone in determining the differences between species as a whole. Our species is not diverse enough to compare the DNA alone. The DNA is basically the same from person to person, with only a few differences. We must consider other factors as well like bone characteristics, etc. Bmina836 (talk) 02:33, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Results

The results indicate there human population in the area sampled derives from three main principal mtDNA Lineages.

The 452 individual DNA sequences fell into 175 different mtDNA types which were then divided into three major groups called haplogroups I, II and III. In haplogroup I, 25% of the total sample was found to belong to the 175 mtDNA types. The first lineage had the previously described Polynesian motive and was found mainly in Trobriand Islands near the east coast of PNG, in the Roro and was also present in different in islands of the Vanuatu archipelago. Haplogroup II was found to be the largest group and most diverse of all samples (48%). It was mainly found in PNG highlands and Vanuatu, but the PNG had the most diversity of haplotype. Haplogroup III was the third mtDNA lineage found and was the smallest one of the three. It is found in the highlands of PNG and in Vanuatu.