Description

Mitochondrial haplogroup HV is the common ancestor of H and V, the two most frequent maternal haplogroups in Europe. H alone accounts for ~40–50% of European women. HV itself (in its undifferentiated form) is found at low frequency in the Near East and Caucasus. The HV clade represents a key expansion event that reshaped the maternal genetic landscape of Europe after the Last Glacial Maximum.

Interesting Fact

Haplogroup V, a sister clade of H under HV, is concentrated among the Saami of Scandinavia (~40%) and Basques (~10%), likely reflecting post-glacial re-expansion from refugia in southwestern Europe.

Distribution by Ethnicity

Ethnic distribution Region Frequency Sample
Iranians Middle East
8%
n=500
Georgians Caucasus
6%
n=250
Armenians Caucasus
5%
n=300

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References

  1. Soares et al. (2010) — The archaeogenetics of Europe. Current Biology 20(4), R174–R183.