Lecture Notes: Tracing Human Migration from Mitochondrial Eve

Introduction

• Exploration of human migration and ancestry
• Mitochondrial Eve: a common ancestor for all modern humans
  • Lived 200,000 years ago in Eastern Africa
  • Scientific inquiry into her descendants' migration

Geographic Context

Lake Victoria

• Surface area: 59,947 square meters
• Significantly larger than major cities:
  • 38x London
  • 99x Seoul
  • 76x Singapore
  • 339x Washington, D.C.

Serengeti Ecosystem

• Location: Northern Tanzania, approx. 30,000 km²
• Name origin: "Seringet" in Maasai language means endless plains

Mount Kilimanjaro

• Highest mountain in Africa (5,895 m)
• Consists of three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, Shira
• Subject of scientific studies due to shrinking glaciers

Early Human Life

• Area inhabited by hunter-gatherers
• Climate change affected migration patterns of prey

Mitochondrial DNA and Migration

Mitochondrial DNA

• Passed down maternally, inherited only through females
• Men have mitochondrial DNA but do not pass it on
• Sperm loses its tail, which contains mitochondrial DNA, during fertilization

Research Contributions

• 1985 study involving 145 women led to the conclusion of a single population origin from Africa
  • Dating back to 140,000-200,000 years ago
• Mapping data from ancient human fossils and mitochondrial DNA

Migration Patterns

Initial Migration

• 60-80,000 years ago: Expansion repopulating Africa
• 50-60,000 years ago: L3 type moved to Southwest Asia
  • All non-Africans descended from M or N types
• Migration paths indicated by DNA haplogroups L, M, N, etc.

Migrations to Other Regions

• M and N types reached Australia
  • Sea was land (Sundaland) during the Ice Age
• East Asia: Types I, U, H, and V migrated towards Europe
• Type X migrated to Siberia
• Ice Age living conditions explored in future lectures

Distribution of Mitochondrial Types

• 40,000 - 30,000 years ago: Types A, B, C, D, and X appear in East Asia
• Last Glacial Maximum (33,000 - 25,600 years ago) impacted migration
  • Land connections across Bering Sea
• 20,000 years ago: Types A and D cross to North America

Post Ice Age Migration

• 15,000 years ago: Arrival in Alaska, followed by movement to South America
• Migration routes opened due to changing sea levels and climate
• Types A, B, C, and D traveled southward through ice-free corridors

Younger Dryas Period

• 12,900 - 11,700 years ago: Sudden temperature drop
• Lake Agassiz's flooding affected migration patterns

Summary of Mitochondrial Types and Distribution

• Comprehensive list of mitochondrial DNA types and their regions:
  • L types found in Africa
  • N in Western Asia, East Asia, Australia
  • M types widespread across various continents
  • Other types like A, B, C, D, F, and X found in specific regions

Conclusion

• Summary of the 200,000-year journey of mankind from Mitochondrial Eve
• Call to action: Follow the nomadic paths mapped from her descendants
• Encouragement to subscribe and engage with the content.