Take the mtDNA test to discover more about your maternal line and be one of the one million testers whose results will rewrite the mtDNA Tree of Humankind.
RELEVANT TO EVERY HUMAN LIVING TODAY
Genealogical and historical information passed to us
Every human being, regardless of sex, inherits mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from their biological mother, but only biological females can pass on mtDNA to their offspring. In return, this chain forms what is called a “matrilineal ancestral line.” The mtDNA Tree of Humankind maps the journey of Mitochondrial “Eve,” who lived 150,000 years ago, to you today.
mtDNA can be used for genealogy matching while also tracking the historic migration path of our ancestors. Further, mtDNA is unique because it does not divide with each new generation or mix with the DNA of the father, providing an unbroken link with our maternal legacy.
The Million Mito Project Mission
The mission of The Million Mito Project is to encourage over one million people to explore their direct maternal line by taking an mtDNA test and contributing to the largest shared evolutionary mtDNA tree of humankind ever assembled.
New sequences will be generated and analyzed.
Branches will be refined.
New migration routes will be discovered.
HOW TO JOIN THE MILLION MITO PROJECT
Take the mtFull Sequence test and automatically join!
- Explore your heritage on your maternal line
- Connect with your maternal-line relatives in our mtDNA database
- Follow the migration paths of your female ancestors
- Receive a personalized mtDNA Full Sequence video
$159USD
The more people who take the mtFull Sequence test (mtDNA), the more branches, twigs, and leaves can be discovered and mapped—providing useful genealogical information as well as our ancestors’ deeper history.
THE MITOCHONDRIALISTS
The Million Mito team
Roberta Estes
Writes at DNAeXplain, scientist, author, genetic genealogist, and Genographic Project affiliate researcher
Haplogroup, J1c2f
Paul Maier, Ph.D.
Population Geneticist at FamilyTreeDNA, evolutionary biologist, phylogeneticist, and wildlife researcher
Haplogroup, U5a2b2a
Goran Runfeldt
Head of Research and Development at FamilyTreeDNA and Genographic Project affiliate researcher
Haplogroup, K2a11
Miguel Vilar, Ph.D.
Genetic anthropologist, science journalist, and former lead scientist for National Geographic’s Genographic Project
Haplogroup, J1c2o
Have questions? We have answers.
Can genetic males participate in the Million Mito Project?
Yes, everyone can participate in the Million Mito Project, regardless of their genetic sex, because all humans have mitochondrial DNA that was passed down to them by their biological mother.
How is mitochondrial DNA relevant to genealogy?
Mitochondrial DNA follows a precise matrilineal inheritance pattern; therefore, it can be used to identify, support, and reject matrilineal genealogical connections.
How will you grow the mtDNA Tree of Humankind?
The Million Mito Project will construct a new Mitotree with more detailed haplogroups. The PhyloTree haplogroups are thousands of years old, and we aim to create a much more refined tree with younger haplogroups that are more relevant for genealogy. We will continue to refine the mtDNA Tree’s haplogroups as more people test and new branches are discovered.
Have you already taken the mtDNA test at FamilyTreeDNA?
You are automatically enrolled in the Million Mito Project when you take the mtDNA test at FamilyTreeDNA. We recommend recruiting relatives from different lineages to take the mtDNA test if you have already tested.