Haplogroup L1 (mtDNA)


Haplogroup L1 is a human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup. It is most common in Central Africa and West Africa.
It diverged from L1-6 at about 140,000 years ago.
Its emergence is associated with the early peopling of Africa by anatomically modern humans during the Eemian, and it is now mostly found in African pygmies.

Distribution

Haplogroup L1 is found most commonly in Central Africa and West Africa. It reaches its highest frequency among the Mbenga Pygmies.
It is likely that it was formerly more widespread, and was constrained to its current area as a result of the Bantu migration.
Haplogroup L1 has been observed in specimens from the island cemetery in Kulubnarti, Sudan, which date from the Early Christian period.
An ancient Beaker culture individual at the Camino de las Yeseras in Spain has also been found to carry the L1b1a mitochondrial haplogroup.

Phylogeny

L1 has two branches, L1c and L1b.

L1c

Haplogroup L1c emerged at about 85 kya. It reaches its highest frequencies in West and Central Africa, notably among the Mbenga Pygmy peoples.. Among the Mbenga, it is carried by 100% of Ba-Kola, 97% of Ba-Benzélé, and 77% of Biaka. Other populations in which L1c is particularly prevalent include the Tikar, Baka people from Gabon and Cameroon, the Bakoya, and the Ba-Bongo. Common also in São Tomé and Angola.
Phylogeny:
Haplogroup L1b is much more recent, dated at about 10 kya. It is frequent in West Africa. It has also been found in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Egypt, the Nile Valley, Kung, Cape Verde, Senegal, Niger/Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Morocco, and Algeria.
Phylogeny: