What is Mitochondrial DNA? Should you take the mtDNA test?

What exactly is Mitochondrial DNA? Learn the science behind the mtDNA test and whether you should or should not take this genetic genealogy test.
👀 MATERNAL HAPLOGROUPS 👉🏼 • MATERNAL HAPLOGROUPS: ...
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CONTINUE LEARNING
📺 Which DNA Test is Better? • Is Autosomal, Y-DNA, o...
📺 A Brief Look at Maternal Haplogroups • MATERNAL HAPLOGROUPS: ...
📺 4 Types of DNA tests • What are the 4 Types D...
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:24 What is DNA?
02:31 Where does mtDNA come from?
05:01 How is Mitochondrial DNA Inherited?
05:56 Should You Take a mtDNA Test?
07:52 What do Mitochondrial DNA Tests Cost?
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#dnatesting #geneticgenealogy #FamilyHistoryFanatics

[@anna-karins1176]

I took the Mitochondrial DNA test at FamilyTreeDNA. It was mostly out of historical interest and curiosity. It turned out to be a Haplogroup in the U5a2d branch . It is among the oldest groups in Scandinavia and came in with the first hunter gatherers around 10000-12000years ago.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You're Swedish through and through. I take tests out of curiosity too. That's how this all began.

[@johnrogan9420]

See much of the current languages originated in Viking homelands...Norway Sweden and Denmark...at one point 876ad...the entire British isles was under Dane control!

[@pacifront83]

Maternal haplogroup per 23andme; U-2c1-- Paternal O-F8- Sinhalese, Sri Lanka - maybe this really doesnt mean much lol

[@knockshinnoch1950]

@@johnrogan9420 The entire British Isles was NEVER under Dane control- Many parts were but never the entire Isles

[@LindaengelustrupBlogspot]

U5a1 here 😃

[@45jeannet]

I thought I would be the first in my family to do the mtDNA test. The results showed 3 exact matches that go back 9 generations and prove the genealogy paper trail.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You're lucky in that regard.

[@mariacapaldi5062]

Released early? Thanks Andy!

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Videos released on Sundays will go early so folks have it ready when they're ready.

[@channah1973]

If you have a historically significant direct female line ancestor, I bet researchers for that person would like to know her haplogroup. Especially if you've done all the hard work to provably connect yourself to her, you can help them. For example, the Mayflower Society has a chart of mtDNA tests members have submitted for their ancestor. So, for example Pricilla Mullins is apparently H6a1a9, and Mary (Jackson) Brewster seems to be I4a.

[@MrSatwatcher]

I tested with the FTDNA mtFull (16,569 markers). I have 6 matches with GD of 0 and built trees for all of them. One is also an autosomal (FF) match and I have determined the common ancestral matrilineal line back to Holland. I'm also in all the databases and tested Y-67 as well. So, something can become of it but it does takes some work.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You're last point is the correct one. Something can become of it but it takes work.

[@tamikamcfarlane453]

Interested thanks

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Go for it.

[@gerryrussell5325]

Thank you, very informative. I thought it my give me a shot at finding my birth mother. I'll just hold onto my few bucks now.

[@barbararoberts571]

I took took the MtDNA test and found it helpful. The results came back as H27 which is uncommon, so only had a handful of results people to sort through. There was a question of Indian or European heritage. The test narrowed the maternal line to being European. Probably what not the normally happens. Nice to luck out.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I'm glad you found it useful. I tend to focus on autosomal DNA testing first as it provides far more clues to build a family tree than a haplogroup.

[@rado9585]

I took the mtdna test for a quite an old hairshaft we had from a family member, and ths result was stonishing and aslo pretty interesting as they told us that it *100%* blongs to the haplogroup (U1a) I just wanted to know if its possible that the hairshaft is really that old?

[@gruilen]

I just paid for the full mtDNA test. The grayed-out ftdna mtDNA badge is doing its work. :D My recently deceased grandmother had given me money to buy something that would remind me of her. I'm not interested in a ring or a watch. ...but this is probably not what she had in mind. The oldest entry in my family tree along this line is born around 1650.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Hey. I think this is better.

[@johnrogan9420]

The female DNA marker is still active...goes back 200000 years to Kenya and Tanzania 🇹🇿!

[@WilsonianGarveyite]

Thank you for the video. As a Haitian-American, I wanted to take both this and the yDNA testing from FTDNA but I wanted to know what will those 2 tests tell that both AncestryDNA and 23andMe hasn't told me before. 23andMe says my haplogroups are Maternal Haplogroup L3b and Paternal Haplogroup B-M109. Wouldn't the tests be redundant? Also with my parents being from Haiti, I presume genealogy research would be moot. I still have a lot of learning to do.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

At this time, unless there is a huge influx of test takers from Haiti, I'm not sure you're going to learn any more than you already know. So, unless you just want to contribute to the FTDNA database, you're likely to be disappointed.

[@robertprice5039]

I did get a Y-DNA Test because my knowledge of my paternal line ends inthe Suwalki Region a Poland in the mid 1800s. So the cousins I found probably shared common ancestors during the Viking Age. My Y-DNA Haplio is N, and even though it usually thought of as Finnic, it was most likely spread to the South Baltic with the Swedish Vikings. With the maternal line I can get to England in the1530s, so I don't an MT-DNA test will help that much.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

The Vikings went everywhere.

[@lauriesfarm]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Go Vikings!

[@johnrogan9420]

N1a1a...Queen Noor of Jordan...Siberian horseman at Lake Baikal Siberia....only 1 in 2800 tested for this mt DNA match on 23 and me.

[@ayahadam8299]

that lineage is very common in horn africa

[@huseyinylmaz3030]

Siberian horseman means Turkic ancestry.

[@user-vt1ej8ne7s]

hi , is mitochondrial dna part of our genome? can you explain it

[@erinlee4806]

My mom is Ashkenazi Jewish and my dad is non Jewish European. I took test through Ancestry. They broke down my dad’s ancestry well by various countries but they just said “Jewish people of Europe” for all my mom’s side. I’m satisfied with what I learned about my dad’s side but feel like what was found about my mom’s side is too vague. This is why I am interested in the mitochondrial dna test to learn more specifics about where my mom’s side came from. Do you know the best tests specifically for Ashkenazi Jews?

[@elliekud4300]

This is very interesting information. Rumor had it that my mother’s side had Jewish in her line, taking a family tree dna test it did not show it at all. When doing the mtdna test with family tree dna, it all showed very small percentages. How does that work? My highest percentage was 2.3% being in Georgia but listed in the comments section it said mizrachi .

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Don't be too quick to rule out the family tree theory. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZS9pXuripxrpJY

[@PamSesheta]

I got mizrahi results in autsomal, checking the full sequence since im curious!

[@TheDunklebob]

Great video. Are you in New England? I am looking for a presenter for a Vermont Northern New England Family Search Fair in March (25th) being held in South Royalton Vermont

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Sadly, I'm not in New England. I'm in New Mexico and have limited my speaking engagements this year.

[@Ilexbi3]

Thank you for the video. What if you want to take the raw data and put it on another site to track African tribes that is associated with you MTDNA? Does it make sense to do it?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

If the website you tested with allows you to download your RAW DNA and the place you want to upload the DNA accepts the file, then you can do it. Just be sure that you're confident in the security protocols of project related DNA websites.

[@Ilexbi3]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thank You!

[@bluebonnetsoftexas]

thanks for the responses below. new question. my sister did do the MTDNA and we did find out that we are in haplogroup K1a4a1a. I have NO idea what that means. our hope was that doing a maternal dna search we could trace our mother's line. which all we can seem to get is our moms father's line. we know as far back as our grandmother's mother then everything stops. there was the story that the great grandmother came off the Choctaw Indian reservation in I think it's in Mississippi. everything we find on her, just says parents unknown. does anyone have any ideas on how we can get past that?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

First, with the possiblity of having US Native Tribes, DNA is not going to assist you much unless a DNA match has built their family tree with a Choctaw in their lines. The reason is US Native American DNA does not appear in any of the commerical genetic genealogy companys' results because US native tribes refuse to participate in the tests. Thus, you won't see Choctaw, or any other tribe in your DNA. Second, the best way to research your maternal line begins with discovering how all of your autosomal DNA matches relate. Then, you could use mtDNA when you have a specific question about your maternal line. mtDNA is not helpful on it's own. I doubt that's the answer you wish to hear. However, it's actually the right path. Start with these videos about building your genetic family tree. kzbin.info/aero/PLcVx-GSCjcdmsw25mbI-wJin_9_9QQUzI

[@Polycat.Codyferd]

I am K1a4a1e with genetics tracing back to England in the 1590s, K is not a native American haplogroup. K is exclusively found in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Your subclade, K1a4a1a is mostly found in the British Isles, the Benelux, Scandinavia (including Finland) and Hungary and Bulgaria. Your maternal ancestors are most likely from europe.

[@LadyErnst]

Through 23 and me my mother and myself are an exact match with mitochondrial dna from its origin in Africa with the maternal haplogroups L1b1a. It’s not as common. Only 1 in 1700 23 and me members will have a direct match to the origins in Africa and my maternal line just happens to posses it. Very interesting.

[@eytharburhan8869]

A mummy in Spain had this mtdna

[@LadyErnst]

@@eytharburhan8869 very interesting.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

DNA can be interesting. But it doesn't tell us everything. That's why we should build a family tree based on records and genetics. That's when our real story unfolds.

[@psionicpowers132]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Also know that the hybrid story is infact a lie because many of were a graftation of experiment by Jacob aka Yakub.. Truth sets people free, don't get hurt

[@psionicpowers132]

Read about the moors in Europe then many of u are going to wonder how u got that Mitchondrial or reas about the Etruscans of Rome, they were Melanin

[@edithh6779]

The etiology of chronic diseases... There are two paradigms in medicine; the anatomical and metabolic, the new kid on the block. Mitochondrial DNA and study of the mtDNA lineages may tell us a lot about the chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, the neurodegenerative conditions, and autoimmune conditions, which thus far have eluded the anatomical paradigm. In other wordss, there has been meager progress based on the anatomical hypothesis. As for the metabolic oaradigm, its early days and the data is limited, but there are tantalizing correlations between haplogroups and chronic disease conditions.

[@yevheniyav1438]

Hello! Have you found it of use? I'd like to take mtdna to check for dysfunctions.

[@annechantelle]

If my maternal aunt took the mt-DNA test, and I have access to the results and matches, do I already have all the data I could get? My maternal grandmother was adopted, and the mt-dna test did appear to confirm which matches on autosomal DNA tests were maternal in origin. Does this make sense at all?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

It makes sense. Yes, your aunt would have the best representation of your mother's and their mother's mt-DNA.

[@johnrogan9420]

N1.. rendille tribe Lake turkana...eastern Kenya

[@bluebonnetsoftexas]

My mother had alzheimers. Can you recommend if the mitochondrial test can show predictable effects for that?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

According to several websites, "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed at least one direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, 23andMe, to offer a test for Alzheimer disease risk." That's not an mtDNA test.

[@patriotsongs]

What do you mean by "xxxxx letters long?" What are the "letters" that you're referring to?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Each of the individual letters in the DNA code. DNA is a string made of ACTG which represent nucleic acids.

[@jessikamoore5033]

Would it be worth it to do a mtdna test? 23 and Me provided me U4b1a1 and said it is not very common, ocurring in only 1 in 2300 of its users. My mom's first cousin has the exact same one as well as that cousin's neice. My 2nd great grandma on that side is a brick wall. We were told her parents were not biologically hers but through help, a birth record was found indicating the woman who raised her was her mother, but no father is listed. For some reason it lists her grandpa to her mother. Then, I think I match her half brother's descendants but maybe 2, not sure I have to look again. I just am not sure it is worth the money if I got U4b1a1 already included in my 23 and Me plus it is ancient ans has no bearing on modern ancestry.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

A mtDNA test will provide you matches that may potentially lead to your matrilineal line. Whether it is worth it is entirely up to you. Typically, I would try to exhaust my autosomal matches before looking at mtDNA (it is more of a last ditch effort rather than a core to research).

[@bobbyharris1141]

I'm U4b1a1a

[@LindaengelustrupBlogspot]

Could anyone tell me anything about mt dna haplogroup H24? I am asking because of an unsolved potentional murder case

[@ladyrancher74]

Would a MT DNA help to determine if a health problem?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You can take your autosomal DNA test and upload it to promethease.com/ to get health reports.

[@user-jr4kc6lu9q]

Mutations in mtDNA occasionally have negative health effects, but more often they are caused by mutations in autosomal DNA or X-DNA.

[@TheManseHen]

My elderly uncle was the last living child of my Cuban grandmother. Because Cuba is currently still a brick wall of sorts, and I've exhausted any information I can get from the living relatives and available records, I figured, It may be useless but as my source to collect it is finite, I'll go ahead and have it done. I feel kind of dumb now for having spent the money, but it just felt like the thing to do, just in case it might ever be helpful in any way.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

It doesn't hurt to create records about people. DNA is a record of a person. Who knows? Something might pop up later. But yeah, I don't recommend this test for most people.

[@staceycoates1418]

I have thought of getting the mtDNA but more for curiosity or figuring out my maternal halpolgroup. It doesn't seem to be much more value than the ethnicity reports.

[@angeloantonio5483]

i took one, i dont understand the results at all. Check it out good b4 you spend the money

[@tanyakasim3988]

Were you thinking of doing the Genographic Project DNA test? 🤔

[@AntonioDellElceUK]

23andMe tests mtDNA; it is part of the test; no need to speend for FamilyTreeDNA

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

If you have the money and you are curious, take the test. But I wouldn't expect much from it. I wouldn't take the Genographic Project DNA test because it's not tied to genetic genealogy tools. At least with some of the other companies, those tools are included.

[@tanyakasim3988]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Speaking of which, the Genographic DNA test has been discontinued. One of my family took that test in March 2006 and I tracked it. We have the results from the original test.

[@bobbyharris1141]

Recently got my results back. Im U4/U4b1a1a. Apparently U4 is relativly rare?

[@rameneater1437]

Can someone tell me about J1C1? Im so confused and can't find any information on it other than its from europe

[@user-jr4kc6lu9q]

I have a lot of information about J1c1 on pages 63-64 of my book "The Maternal Genetic Lineages of Ashkenazic Jews". It is indeed mostly in Europe from Scotland in the north to Sicily in the south. Very ancient examples of J1c1 come from Southeastern Europe.

[@dolphinshark3202]

My mother was adopted. No records to be found. Would a mitochondrial DNA test be beneficial at all to me? In any way?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

mitochondrial tests are useful when you have more information. If you haven't taken an Autosomal DNA test, start there. Then make a Leeds Chart. Create a DNA Leeds Method Chart Quickly to Cluster Your DNA Matches kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2iXfX2vn9aib8U Once you have isolated your DNA matches into groups, you can start figuring out how those relatives are related. Then you'll start figuring out which family line is which. Have you watched this video series? Genealogy for Adoptees kzbin.info/aero/PLcVx-GSCjcdk1GsAs9NfLWKvACcjE3Afg There are more tips for your in your situation.

[@mcintoshuton4872]

I have a first half cousin from our maternal grandmother, not grandfather. Since we both share grandmothers (his mother & my mother are half-sisters, would my 1st half cousin and I share mitochondria dna?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

If they are half sisters through a common mother, then yes. If they are half sisters through a common father, then no.

[@mcintoshuton4872]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics My first half cousin is male. The answer you gave me, would that now be the same answer?

[@jjbud3124]

@@mcintoshuton4872 Yes, males carry the mtDNA of their mothers.

[@ramyjeddah]

My mtdna is HV1b1

[@kashfiaislam9995]

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly’s mitochondrial haplogroup is actually M as opposed to H unlike most Europeans. Rapper Machine Gun Kelly’s 20th great grandmother was a heavily tattooed Indian Hindu woman who was raped by a very tall blonde haired blue eyed Scandinavian man. 🎭🩰🎨

[@katniss4670]

Would this test be useful for tracing maternal Sephardic Jewish ancestry ?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

It could be helpful so long as the maternal line is consistent and never switches to a paternal line. I wouldn't recommend this until after you have exhausted all your autosomal DNA matches.

[@katniss4670]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thank you !

[@TheBlueRage]

CRI Genetics gave me a different Maternal Haplogroup. How could a company have different Haplogroups? I belong to several DNA companies. My Maternal are HV, HV2 and HV2a2. I've seen ads about CRI Genetics and was interested in taking their test and purchased everything. They listed my Haplogroup as "B" I chatted with them and asked to have this reevaluated. How could this be? I am waiting to hear back from them. I paid for the paternal test. All I got back was that I was E1b1b. For free Wegene gave me E1b1b1a1. Also, my African autosomal ranges from 82% to 96%. At 5 generations, CRI Genetics has me at 50.20% European. Huh?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

It depends on which SNPs they test. Since Haplogroups are determined by SNPs, you can only assign a haplogroup to the SNPs that are tested.

[@TheBlueRage]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Ok. however every other channel has at a minimum haplogroup HV. Their path is correct leading out of Africa is correct except they went with Haplogroup B. Unless B is in the path of HV. Lots of updates out there. Even Myheritage has an update for the first time since I've been with them.

[@sr2291]

B is a subset of R. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanesia

[@Qwondi]

I think k you down played the power of mtdna

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Compared to other genetic genealogy educators, yes, I do downplay the usefulness of mtDNA. The reason is, the small database size, high cost, and difficulty in tracing the maternal line makes it less powerful than autosomal DNA testing. This is likely why only one company offers this test. That doesn't mean it's not helpful. However, many on this channel want to get the most bang for their buck, so I don't recommend mtDNA as a first test. It's a great test after someone has researched how all their autosomal DNA matches are related. And then, to ask a specific question on the maternal line.

[@chanaheszter168]

I am in the process of testing. Elected to do mtdna because I am Jewish and wanted to see which haplogroup I am descended from.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

That's a valid reason to take this test. How did it turn out?

[@chanaheszter168]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Many matches, with traceable origins all over central and eastern Europe. Very hard to trace maternal lines, though.

[@user-jr4kc6lu9q]

I wrote a book about the origins and distributions of all 129 confirmed Ashkenazic Jewish mtDNA haplogroups: "The Maternal Genetic Lineages of Ashkenazic Jews" published by Academic Studies Press.

[@dagmarthorisdottir3613]

That wasn’t really helpful. You could at least take the next step and explain what you get when you have taken the test and what it can be used for.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmqqpIOmYs58gK8 I already did, but it's in a different video.

[@Addy_Hawaii]

bro i came here cause i was underwhelmed by my mtdna result on FamilyTreeDNA. No matches or info but I'm full Ethiopian so i don't know why i wasted my money considering we've never been colonized & we memorize our lineage names.

[@AntonioDellElceUK]

23andMe includes mtDNA haplogroup for free..... . . . . .

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Not exactly. You have to buy the DNA test

[@AntonioDellElceUK]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics they do test autosomal, YDNA and mtDNA in a single test, FamilyTreeDNA has separate tests for each, and they are sp price that you can almost a wgs test with cost of all tree... Not to mention the quality of the web interface, in particular their tree is almost pathetic

[@sharfalor4244]

Yes, 23 and Me automatically included it in my reports.

[@sr2291]

@@sharfalor4244 It is not a full test.

[@peacetrain5623]

@@sr2291 Yes,23nme i think they just predicted only at 12level, not run the snp as ftdna does and ftdna at 37level very good for genealogy.

[@owancejackie]

I will never understand mtDNA test. I have limited or no matches. Who is your MRCA? Mitochondrial EVE being tested by RSRS or rCRS not so sure which is used.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I'm not surprised that you have limited or no matches. This is the most difficult test to use in genetic genealogy, it's expensive, and few people have taken the test.

[@owancejackie]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics I agree with you. Thank you for your response.

[@myfavoritedoctor]

戴文 is flipped

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Okay.

[@dominiqueblagojevic9447]

U5b1e. Czech, Ukraine, Poland and Russia. I've heard basque have this haplogroup as well.

[@user-jr4kc6lu9q]

U5b1e is in many countries, including both Spain and Portugal.