# Population Genetics > mtDNA Haplogroups >  Question about Mtdna

## ylebzh

Waiting for results ......

I have a quite good overall understanding of Ydna, but Mtdna ??? how does it work ?

Can we consider it is the Ydna of maternal line or is it passed on from mother to daughter on the basic of Ydna.

Are Ydna haplogroups and Mtdna one's identical ?

----------


## Maciamo

MtDNA is passed from the mother to all children. That's why everybody can test for it (unlike Y-chromosome DNA which only men have). It can be used to trace the maternal like nevertheless because mtDNA is not on the 23 chromosomes and does not recombine.

Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups are always different. They are completely separate things. You can see the evolution of both Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups on this chart.

----------


## ylebzh

> MtDNA is passed from the mother to all children. That's why everybody can test for it (unlike Y-chromosome DNA which only men have). It can be used to trace the maternal like nevertheless because mtDNA is not on the 23 chromosomes and does not recombine.
> Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups are always different. They are completely separate things.


Thank you for your reply, does that mean, my Mtdna would be similar to my first cousin on mother side ? obviously not as we don't have the same mother, so what can we trace with it or what is the interest in genealogy for example ?
Sorry, but I still don't understand how it works out, it seems really difficult to comprehend, as for Ydna it's passed on from father to son ( oldest ancestor in direct line ) and so on ... to you !

----------


## Nasturtium

Your cousins mtDNA would be the same as yours if your mother's are sisters. If your cousin is the child of your mother's brother, then no, your mtDNA would be different as men do not pass on their mtDNA to their offspring.

----------


## Maciamo

> Thank you for your reply, does that mean, my Mtdna would be similar to my first cousin on mother side ? obviously not as we don't have the same mother, so what can we trace with it or what is the interest in genealogy for example ?


MtDNA does not change from generation to generation. It is not part of the 46 chromosomes. It is passed through the ovum's DNA at conception (so only from the mother). 

You have identically the same mtDNA as your siblings, mother, maternal grand-mother, maternal uncles and aunts, and children of your maternal aunts. That's why it's useful to determine if two individuals are closely related on their mother's side. Have a look at this inheritance graph.




> Sorry, but I still don't understand how it works out, it seems really difficult to comprehend, as for Ydna it's passed on from father to son ( oldest ancestor in direct line ) and so on ... to you !


Women don't have a Y-chromosome, so men always get it from their father. Pairs of chromosomes recombine at every generation, except X and Y, which are not the same size. That's why you have the same Y-chromosome as your father, brothers, paternal grandfather and uncles, etc.

----------


## Chris

Maciamo - Your DNA info is the most readable: My wife has just had her results come back as U4. The info on the web (Wikipedia etc) is very scant. Are you able to put some meat on the bones? 

Thanks, Chris

----------


## Maciamo

> Maciamo - Your DNA info is the most readable: My wife has just had her results come back as U4. The info on the web (Wikipedia etc) is very scant. Are you able to put some meat on the bones? 
> Thanks, Chris


MtDNA is not very useful for tracing ancient ancestry. All I can tell you about U4 is that it is more common in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, northern South Asia. This geographic spread corresponds to the range of R1a, so U4 could very well be connected to the spread of the Indo-Europeans.

----------


## ylebzh

My result is T* ??? is it similar to T2 ?
Thank you !

Ps : I subscribed to this tread, but never received notification ...

----------


## Maciamo

> My result is T* ??? is it similar to T2 ?
> Thank you !


Mtdna T* is similar to T2. It just lacks at least one of the defining mutations for T2. If you have only taken a HVR1 and/or HVR2 mtDNA test, like most people, you cannot know if you have the defining mutations in the coding region (such as 11812 and 14233). You might very well have them.




> Ps : I subscribed to this tread, but never received notification ...


Go to My Settings, then Edit Options and check your "Default Thread Subscription Mode". You can choose, "instant", "daily", "weekly" or "no" email notification.

----------


## Carlitos

If a girl is not from their father, since the woman is XX, which is checked when doing a paternity test of a parent with a daughter.

----------

