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I Haplogroup mtDNA

The mtDNA Haplogroup I Project
  • 1831 members

About us


This Project has the exciting opportunity to promote research and development of our haplogroup. A primary goal is to discover and learn more about the various subclades (branches) of mtDNA Haplogroup I and where they are found.  We hope that the data we gather will contribute towards future discoveries about the origins, migratory paths, history, and ages of the subclades.

Here are ways that you can potentially help:

1.  If known, enter the country of origin of your direct maternal line on your FTDNA page.  Please see instructions for entering "Most Distant Ancestor" on the project website's "Background" page.

The earliest known country of origin for your direct maternal line may be valuable information for the study of your subclade. So far, some subclades show widespread distribution while others are in a specific area (for example, I2b has been found exclusively in Finland). As the subclades are found to diverge into smaller and smaller branches, the geographical regions could narrow down as well.

2. If you haven't yet done so, please consider upgrading to the mtFull-Sequence test. The discovery of subclades can only take place as more people get full mtDNA testing and make their sequence data available to researchers. Having more full sequences in the Project will increase the amount of meaningful data on this rather rare haplogroup. This test will also equip you to determine your most refined subclade both now and in the future as new subclades are identified. You will always be able to tell where you fit on the mtDNA tree. Plus, you will be provided with a list of mtDNA matches (both exact and close matches) within the FTDNA database, as well as see names and origins listed for their direct maternal ancestor when that information is provided.

3. Ask project administrator Martha Hicks if your mtDNA data would be useful to researchers through submission to GenBank. Research can benefit when mtDNA sequences--with no matches yet submitted to GenBank--are submitted. This process makes the data available to researchers worldwide (without listing your name). Many of our project members are in subclades that are expected to eventually be divided into smaller subgroups. However, development and research of our haplogroup is absolutely dependent on data from novel sequences being submitted to GenBank. It's possible, especially for those with few or no exact FMS matches, that your sequence could help identify a new subclade. Discovering more about the structure of our haplogroup is the basis for learning more about the history and origins of the subclades. For additional information or assistance with GenBank, feel free to contact Martha Hicks (project administrator) and/or visit Dr. Ian Logan's website at:  http://www.IanLogan.co.uk/checker/genbank.htm

4. Please invite others in Haplogroup I (such as your mtDNA matches) to join our project!

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Martha Jane (Schliesser) Hicks - 2013/2014/2015-2019/2020


mtDNA Haplogroup I Project: Goals by Martha Jane (Schliesser) Hicks is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.