title: The problem of our common mitochondrial mother.
abstract: It has been suggested that the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of all present-day human beings stems exclusively from one woman who lived about 200000 years ago in Africa; examination of the problem by the mathematical theory of random walks supposedly renders alternatives very unlikely. However, a statistical argument first used by Fisher indicates that this hypothesis is untenable, at least if the assumptions made by previous workers are accepted. All present-day mtDNA might go back to one individual, especially if small populations and population bottlenecks with very small numbers of reproducing individuals are assumed; nevertheless, this phase in the evolution of Homo sapiens probably dates back considerably more than 200000 years.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Humangenetik und Anthropologie der Universität, Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D015186:Hominidae; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D008957:Models, Genetic
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial