title: Saami mitochondrial DNA reveals deep maternal lineage clusters.
abstract: The mitochondrial DNA of 62 Saami from the north of Norway was analyzed in the D loop hypervariable region I and II and sequences were compared to other gene pools. Two major (lineage 1 and 2) and two minor (lineage 3 and 4) maternal lineage clusters were found. Lineage 1 (56.9% of all hitherto analyzed Saami samples) contains a substantial number of branching haplotypes which are unknown in European gene pools. Lineage 2 (31.5%) and lineage 4 (3.6%) have few branching points and are present at a low rate throughout European gene pools. Lineage 3 (4.7%) has polymorphisms characteristic of circumpolar lineages.
authors.affiliation: Morphology II Department, University of Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delghandi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Utsi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krauss
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009664:Norway / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial