Subclade

For other uses, see Subclade (disambiguation).
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See also: Cladistics

In genetics, a subclade is a subgroup of a haplogroup.[1]

Naming convention

Although human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) haplogroups and subclades are named in a similar manner, their names belong to completely separate systems.[2]

mtDNA

mtDNA haplogroups are defined by the presence of a series of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in the hypervariable regions and the coding region of mitochondrial DNA. They are named with the capital letters A through Z, with further subclades named using numbers and lower case letters.[2][3][4]

Y-DNA

Y-DNA haplogroups are defined by the presence of a series of SNP markers on the Y chromosome. Subclades are defined by a terminal SNP, the SNP furthest down in the Y chromosome phylogenetic tree.[5]

Human Y-DNA

The Y Chromosome Consortium (YCC) developed a system of naming major human Y-DNA haplogroups with the capital letters A through T, with further subclades named using numbers and lower case letters (YCC longhand nomenclature). YCC shorthand nomenclature names Y-DNA haplogroups and their subclades with the first letter of the major Y-DNA haplogroup followed by a dash and the name of the defining terminal SNP.[6] Y-DNA haplogroup nomenclature is changing over time to accommodate the increasing number of SNPs being discovered and tested, and the resulting expansion of the Y chromosome phylogenetic tree. This change in nomenclature has resulted in inconsistent nomenclature being used in different sources.[7] This inconsistency, and increasingly cumbersome longhand nomenclature, has prompted a move towards using the simpler shorthand nomenclature.

See also

References

  1. ^ Caselli, Giovanni (21 July 2022). Etruria and the Origins of the Etruscans. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-5275-8475-4.
  2. ^ a b "Understanding Results: mtDNA: How are mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Haplogroups named?". Family Tree DNA. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  3. ^ "About mtDNA Haplogroups (Maternal Ancient Ancestry)". DNA Ancestry Project. Retrieved 1 April 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Comparison of Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups". DNA Ancestry Project. Retrieved 1 April 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "myFTDNA 2.0 User Guide: Y-DNA: What is the Y-DNA - Matches page?". Family Tree DNA. Retrieved 31 March 2013. A terminal SNP determines the terminal (final) subbranch on the Y-DNA Tree to which someone belongs.
  6. ^ "Understanding Results: Y-DNA Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP): How are haplogroups and their subclades named?". Family Tree DNA. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  7. ^ "Understanding Haplogroups: How are the haplogroups named?". Family Tree DNA. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2013.