26. mitochrondrial DNA

Return to History 8 Human Origins Vocabulary

Mitochondrial DNA converts the energy one receives through food into a form of energy that the body can use. It is passed down from mothers, and boys receive their mother's mitochondrial DNA but, unlike girls, do not pass it down to their children. This DNA is easier to examine than DNA in cells. Researches studied Neanderthal's and early European human's mitochondrial DNA to find the differences between each. The scientists concluded that western Neanderthals had a lesser variety in their genetics. When mitochondrial DNA has less genetic variation, the species can not adapt as well to its environment and may become extinct. The scientists propose that a climactic event caused Neanderthals to die out, but a small population was able to survive and re-expand.

https://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/richard-iii-found/mitochondrial-dna/

Sources: Manual page 36, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/neanderthals/mtdna.html

For Further Investigation: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/neanderthals/mtdna.html, http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/mtdna

-Mary VanLoh