Project News
Project created January 9, 2006, with William R. Hurst as group administrator.
Anyone with mtDNA test results showing that they are in haplogroup K is encouraged to join our project. That applies to anyone who has tested with FamilyTreeDNA or has transferred from the National Geographic Society Genographic Project. No new test is required to join the project, although an upgrade with mtDNARefine is recommended if not already performed.
To join us as a secondary project, use the blue JOIN button on your personal page, then click on "K" under "mt Haplogroup Projects." Then click on our project name.
If you have not taken an mtDNA test, but you have a direct maternal-line relative who is in haplogroup K, you are welcome to order a test kit through our project. That would include anyone whose mother or sibling has tested as a K, or perhaps a cousin. If you are not sure, please ask first before ordering.
All members are encouraged to enter their Maternal Side Most Distant Ancestor and Origin after clicking on the Plot Ancestral Locations tab on their FTDNA personal page. That name will show up on our results chart below.
Members are also encouraged to upload their data to MitoSearch from the mtDNA Matches tab on your personal page.
Another good place to put your results and look for others is Charles Kerchner's mtDNA Test Results Log.
A new study of the mtDNA of Oetzi the Iceman mentioned above has shown that he is in the K1 subclade, but not in the lower K1a, K1b, or K1c subclades. So he would be termed a K1*. See: Rollo Paper
January 23, 2006: The K Project is now two weeks old with 25 members. See the progress report.
February 9, 2006: On our one-month anniversary we have 40 members.
February 20, 2006: We have reached 50 members.
February 21, 2006: Map of ancestors' origins in Europe added below mtDNA Results. Click on the red dots for further information. To get on the map, you have to enter coordinates under Setup Preferences. Also please add name of your most distant maternal ancestor.
February 27, 2006: We have reached 60 members. Members' predicted subclades chart published.
March 9, 2006: 76 members. A new survey of K entries on MitoSearch published.
March 22, 2006: 97 members. A new supplement discussing geographical considerations of the previous MitoSearch survey published.
March 26, 2006: 100 members. See the new progress report.
April 9, 2006: On our three-month anniversary, we have 125 members.
April 14, 2006: Another new survey of K entries on MitoSearch published.
April 29, 2006: Genealogy-DNA mailing list thread on mtDNA mutation rates, using K Project haplotypes.
May 25, 2006: 150 members. See the new progress report.
May 30, 2006: Three phylogenetic charts of K subclades published. See discussion here.
July 9, 2006: Implementation of Tom Glad's new mtDNA-Analysis Utility for the K Project, including Fluxus diagrams for subclades K1c/K1c2 and K1a1b1a. For details see announcement.
July 11, 2006: Use of Tom Glad's mtDNA-Analysis Utility for HVR1/2 K entries from MitoSearch. Also revised K1a1b1a Fluxus diagram. For details see announcement.
July 27, 2006: Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SGMF) adds an mtDNA database. First Report.
July 28, 2006: 200 members. Progress report, with links to new charts and tables.
August 3, 2006: New Fluxus diagram for seven Project members with full-sequence results. See discussion with link to diagram.
August 11, 2006: Another Fluxus diagram for 36 Project members in the K1c, K1c2, K2a and K2a2a subclades. See discussion with link to diagram.
August 19, 2006. New survey of 750 K entries on MitoSearch.
September 2, 2006. 230 members. Ten new phylogenetic charts and a map from K entries on MitoSearch. See discussion with links to charts and map.
October 3, 2006. 252 members. Several new items:
1. Analysis of the haplotype containing 16048A.
2. MitoSearch entry for ancestral K.
3. K charts and maps from new Sykes book data:
Bar chart.
Pie chart.
K locations.
Two K groups map.
4. Simplified K Fluxus diagram.
December 2, 2006: 300 members. Progress report, with links to new charts and tables.
January 9, 2007: 331 members. K Project is One Year Old!
March 12, 2007. New survey of 1000 K entries on MitoSearch.
March 14, 2007. Project member Vincent Vizachero has created a map showing the frequency of K in Europe from data in the Richards 2000 and Helgason 2001 papers. Two formats are available: PDF and PNG.
March 27, 2007. 390 members. Six new Fluxus phylogentic diagrams published. For 35 Project members' full-sequence results start with FGS explanation. For subclade charts start with subclade explanation.
April 5, 2007: 400 members. Progress report, with links to a new chart and 11 maps.
May 24, 2007: 427 members. Fluxus chart for 42 members with full-sequence results: Explanation.
June 15, 2007: 439 members. Subclade cladogram for 305 members with high-resolution HVR results: Discussion and link.
July 1, 2007: 456 members. Analysis of new NGS Genographic Project paper on mtDNA.
September 3, 2007: 500 members. Progress report, with links to a new chart.
November 23, 2007: 558 members. Journal of Genetic Genealogy article on mtDNA Position 524 in K by William R. Hurst.
December 16, 2007: 576 members.
Cladogram for 116 members with FGS results.
February 24, 2008: 851 members. New survey of 1500 K entries on MitoSearch.
June 2, 2008: 1000 members. Progress report, with links to a new chart and a discussion of Members Subgrouping.
November 3, 2008: 1100 members. Otzi the Iceman full-sequence report, with downloadable Supplemental Data listing 30 (of current 62) FTDNA customers/K Project members on GenBank. Otzi sequence also on MitoSearch as 4Q6JA.
January 10, 2009: 1149 members. K Project third anniversary report.
March 5, 2009: 1206 members.
PhyloTree Build 3 now available with 22 new or proposed K subclades, using 32 GenBank FGS results from K Project members.
October 8, 2009: 1413 members. FTDNA is making two major changes relating to mtDNA. First, for current customers the upgrade prices to full-sequence (FGS or Mega) tests are being drastically reduced. From the regular $400+ the new discount price for those with HVR2 results is $179. For those with only HVR1 results it is $199. Orders at these discount prices have to be placed and paid for by October 31, 2009. They will be sending an official announcement to everyone concerned in a few days, but the prices are already available on your Order Tests and Certificates tab under Standard Orders on your personal page. New technology is allowing FTDNA to process these tests in less time. We already have 320 members with FGS results, so the chances of finding FGS matches are increasing. (If you have friends or relatives who have yet to test their mtDNA, you might tell them to wait until November for a new price on the mtFullSequence test.)
Second, FTDNA will be making changes next week relating to the display of mtDNA results on your personal page. If you have a heteroplasmy, that will be noted. (Yes, they will provide a link to a FAQ on heteroplasmies.) They will standardize some nomenclature. For example, I believe insertions at position 524 will be changed to 523. Also, some subclade designations will be changed for those with FGS results. For example, K1a10 will probably be assigned to many of you with 16048A now shown as just K1a. The CRS charts on your Results page will be changed to more clearly show your differences. Mitosearch will be updated to reflect the above changes and more haplogroup categories will be available. Please hold your questions on these changes until they are implemented.
November 2, 2009: 1422 members. The FGS sale is now over, with 130 tests ordered by Project members. Outstanding! They will join with 323 Project members who already have FGS results. New regular FGS or Mega prices just listed are:
HVR2toMega: $209
HVR1toMega: $229
mtFullSequence for existing customers: $249
mtFullSequence for new customers: $279 (just announced)
The upgrade prices are still substantially lower than the previous regular prices.