Comments on: Mitochondrial DNA In A Nutshell http://damian.peterson.net.nz/2009/04/08/mitochondrial-dna-in-a-nutshell/ The Bloggery of Damian Peterson Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:47:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: My mutant mitochondria and life on earth | The Atavism http://damian.peterson.net.nz/2009/04/08/mitochondrial-dna-in-a-nutshell/#comment-5934 My mutant mitochondria and life on earth | The Atavism Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:53:02 +0000 http://damian.peterson.net.nz/?p=258#comment-5934 [...] inter­est­ing and, frankly, he’s des­per­ate for the traf­fic. A while back Damian was think­ing about mito­chon­dria and what they can tell us about peo­ple. Like any good sci­en­tific pedant I turned up and picked [...] [...] inter­est­ing and, frankly, he’s des­per­ate for the traf­fic. A while back Damian was think­ing about mito­chon­dria and what they can tell us about peo­ple. Like any good sci­en­tific pedant I turned up and picked [...]

]]> By: Damian http://damian.peterson.net.nz/2009/04/08/mitochondrial-dna-in-a-nutshell/#comment-4166 Damian Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:56:08 +0000 http://damian.peterson.net.nz/?p=258#comment-4166 OK, thanks for that. I've added the word "maternal" wherever the context wasn't clear. Good catch. If you see anything else, let me know. I'd hate to be putting people wrong! OK, thanks for that. I’ve added the word “maternal” wherever the context wasn’t clear. Good catch. If you see anything else, let me know. I’d hate to be putting people wrong!

]]> By: david w http://damian.peterson.net.nz/2009/04/08/mitochondrial-dna-in-a-nutshell/#comment-4165 david w Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:51:30 +0000 http://damian.peterson.net.nz/?p=258#comment-4165 Well, for me the paragraph that started "Let’s say we take your mitochondrial DNA and compare it with your sibling’s" set a few alarm bells, perhaps some specific in their to talk about the maternal inheritance (because not all my cousins will share my mtDNA). But I'm not the sole arbiter of accuracy ;) Well, for me the paragraph that started “Let’s say we take your mitochondrial DNA and compare it with your sibling’s” set a few alarm bells, perhaps some specific in their to talk about the maternal inheritance (because not all my cousins will share my mtDNA). But I’m not the sole arbiter of accuracy ;)

]]> By: Damian http://damian.peterson.net.nz/2009/04/08/mitochondrial-dna-in-a-nutshell/#comment-4162 Damian Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:27:15 +0000 http://damian.peterson.net.nz/?p=258#comment-4162 Quite right. Perhaps I should adjust the wording a little to focus on the 'common grandmother' perspective do you think? Or be more clear that mtDNA can only show maternal relatedness? Would that be enough to fix any factual errors? Any advice greatly accepted! Quite right. Perhaps I should adjust the wording a little to focus on the ‘common grandmother’ perspective do you think? Or be more clear that mtDNA can only show maternal relatedness?

Would that be enough to fix any factual errors? Any advice greatly accepted!

]]> By: david w http://damian.peterson.net.nz/2009/04/08/mitochondrial-dna-in-a-nutshell/#comment-4161 david w Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:23:14 +0000 http://damian.peterson.net.nz/?p=258#comment-4161 Hmm, you can't quite go out and sequence people's mitochondria and work out how closely related they are. mtDNA only passes down the maternal line (sperm don't have any mitochondria in their heads so they don't make it into the next generation). One result of this process is if I were to go out and sequence my mtDNA (I actually have btw) and my Dad's they would likely be quite different, in fact if my Dad was polynesian they'd be very different. You can do a sort of gene-centred "reverse geneology" and trace mt genomes, with a model called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalescent_theory" rel="nofollow">The coalescent</a> (warning, mathsy) which is the basis of population level studies over short time periods (and the age estimates for mitochondrial eve). Hmm, you can’t quite go out and sequence people’s mitochondria and work out how closely related they are. mtDNA only passes down the maternal line (sperm don’t have any mitochondria in their heads so they don’t make it into the next generation). One result of this process is if I were to go out and sequence my mtDNA (I actually have btw) and my Dad’s they would likely be quite different, in fact if my Dad was polynesian they’d be very different.

You can do a sort of gene-centred “reverse geneology” and trace mt genomes, with a model called The coalescent (warning, mathsy) which is the basis of population level studies over short time periods (and the age estimates for mitochondrial eve).

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