Haplogroups / Maternal line
L0
The deepest branch of the maternal tree
The story of this line
L0 split from every other maternal lineage alive earlier than any other branching event we can see. It is carried today at high frequency by Khoisan-speaking peoples of southern Africa, and it is the reason the root of the human maternal tree is placed in Africa at all. This line never left.
What it traces
L0 sits on the family tree of mitochondrial DNA, passed from mother to child. Following it back means following your mother, her mother, and so on back, one unbroken thread. It says nothing about the thousands of other ancestors you had at the same depth, which is the single most common misunderstanding about haplogroups.
The route, roughly
- East African Rift about 170 thousand years ago
- Southern Africa about 150 thousand years ago
A route drawn from where the branch arose and where it is found today. It is the path of one thread through your ancestry, not a map of where your family as a whole came from.
Is L0 your haplogroup?
If you have taken a test with 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, Family Tree DNA, TellMeGen or Living DNA, the answer is already sitting in the raw data file they gave you. You do not need another test.
Sequencings reads the file in your browser. It is never uploaded, and you can confirm that in your browser’s network tab while it happens.
Common questions
What is haplogroup L0?
L0 is a branch of the human maternal family tree, traced through mitochondrial DNA, passed from mother to child. L0 split from every other maternal lineage alive earlier than any other branching event we can see. It is carried today at high frequency by Khoisan-speaking peoples of southern Africa, and it is the reason the root of the human maternal tree is placed in Africa at all. This line never left.
How old is haplogroup L0?
It first appeared about 150,000 to 170,000 years ago, in Southern and East Africa. That is a coalescence estimate with a wide margin, not a date.
How do I find out if L0 is my haplogroup?
If you have taken a home DNA test, the answer is already in the raw data file you were given. Sequencings reads that file in your browser and traces both lines without uploading anything.
Does haplogroup L0 tell me about my health?
No. Haplogroups describe one line of descent. They are not used to assess health risk, and anyone who tells you otherwise is overreaching.
Sources
van Oven M, Kayser M. 2009. Updated comprehensive phylogenetic tree of global human mitochondrial DNA variation. Hum Mutat 30(2):E386-E394. http://www.phylotree.org doi:10.1002/humu.20921