Mitotree is born and I can hardly contain my excitement.
The Million Mito R&D team members, along with many others at FamilyTreeDNA, are proud to introduce the new Mitotree and mtDNA Discover, which were brought to life thanks to one pivotal entrepreneurial figure, Bennett Greenspan, whose support and vision set the ball in motion and made Mitotree possible.
Left to right, the Million Mito science team is:
- Goran Runfeldt, Head of R&D at FamilyTreeDNA
- Dr. Paul Maier, Senior Population Geneticist at FamilyTreeDNA
- Roberta Estes, DNAexplain, scientist, blogger, author, genetic genealogist, and Genographic Affiliate Researcher
- Dr. Miguel Vilar, Genetic Anthropologist, Lead Scientist with the Genographic Project, and Professor at the University of Maryland
- Bennett Greenspan, President Emeritus of FamilyTreeDNA, and avid genealogist
- John Detsikas, Front End Developer who is responsible for the user interface for both Y-DNA Discover and now mtDNA Discover
The Million Mito Project Inception
The Million Mito Project was launched at RootsTech 2020 and encouraged people to test their mitochondrial DNA, both for their genealogy and to help build the database. More than a million samples were candidates, but only high-quality, full sequence results were used. In the process of building the tree, additional samples were incorporated from other public sources for tree construction.
Drum Roll – The Mitotree
A beta version of the Mitotree is being released today, and boy, is this a big deal.
Before we discuss the rest of what’s coming, I need to mention that the Mitotree is now evergreen, meaning that the tree will be updated periodically, as will mtDNA Discover. This lifetime value is included with the cost of your test, so there’s nothing more to purchase.
Haplogroups will change from time to time, as the tree does, so don’t fall in love with yours, and definitely, no tattoos😊
I’m going to be speaking in terms of “we,” meaning the Million Mito team who built the Mitotree and mtDNA Discover, plus an amazing team of FamilyTreeDNA folks who were absolutely essential in getting this out the door and to you.
The Mitotree is new from the ground up, and yes, haplogroup naming consistency with PhyloTree has been maintained where possible.
One of the unanticipated challenges we encountered was that the 2016 PhyloTree had to be recreated, essentially reverse engineered, to determine the rules they used regarding mutations for haplogroup creation. In other words, which mutations were valid and reliable, which weren’t, determining their relative importance, and so forth.
After the existing 2016 tree was recreated, the next hurdle to overcome was that none of the existing phylogenetic software used in academia would scale from 24,000 samples and 5500 subclades to more than a quarter million samples and 40,000 haplogroups, so that software had to be designed and written by R&D team members.
More information about this process will be forthcoming shortly, and a paper will be published with our methodology, but for right now, let’s look at the user experience and what’s being released now.
Here’s what’s coming today and over the next few days.
The beta Mitotree includes:
- Over 40,000 branches
- Over 250,000 mtFull Sequences from FTDNA
- Over 10,000 third-party full sequences from GenBank, 1000 Genomes, etc.
- Over 1000 Ancient Connections
- Over 100 Notable Connections
More is on the way.
The new Mitotree is the tree provided in several formats within mtDNA Discover. You can view the public version of the tree, here, or sign on to your FamilyTreeDNA account and click through from your dashboard to see more.
Today’s Releases
The Mitotree doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so several updates and new features will be rolling out today.
- mtDNA Discover, which includes the new Mitotree
- New customer haplogroups for those who have taken mtFull sequence tests
- New mtDNA matches page
New Haplogroups
New haplogroups have been calculated for FamilyTreeDNA customers who have taken the full sequence test. Those who have taken only the HVR1 or HVR1/HVR2 tests are encouraged to upgrade to the full sequence test.
Not everyone will receive a new Mitotree haplogroup that is different from their classic haplogroup, but most people will. Your original haplogroup is displayed with the classic tag, and the new Mitotree haplogroup with the beta tag.
If your classic and Mitotree haplogroups are the same, it means that either you have no more private variants (mutations) available to form a new haplogroup, or no one else from your lineage has tested yet.
New mtDNA Matches Page
If you click on your mtDNA matches, you’ll notice that the page has been redesigned to look and function like the other FamilyTreeDNA match pages.
If you click to view your matches, you’ll be able to view both the “old” classic haplogroup, and your matches’ new Mitotree haplogroup, plus a new haplotype if they have one. We will talk about haplotypes in a minute.
The people you match are the same as before, but matches may be recalculated in the future.
If you click through to the new mtDNA Discover from your dashboard, you’ll be able to view the public portion of mtDNA Discover, plus the additional customized information provided to FamilyTreeDNA mtFull sequence customers.
mtDNA Discover
If you have taken a full sequence test, sign on to your account to view your new haplogroup, then click on the new mtDNA Discover icon on your dashboard.
If you haven’t taken the mtFull sequence test, but the partial HVR1 or HVR2 versions, you can still view mtDNA Discover on your dashboard, but without the mtFull customization.
Customization that occurs exclusively for FamilyTreeDNA mtFull sequence customers includes:
- Most detailed placement of your branch on Mitotree
- Haplotype clusters
- Additional Ancient Connections
- Additional Notable Connections
- The Match Time Tree
- Globetrekker (coming soon)
- The Group Time Tree (coming soon)
mtDNA Discover is similar to Y-DNA Discover.
You’ll be able to view a dozen new reports about your haplogroup in addition to the tools provided on your dashboard.
The new Mitotree can be viewed in several formats, each with its unique benefit.
- Time Tree – a genetic tree that shows when each haplogroup was formed, plus a country flag for where present-day testers report as the location of their earliest known ancestor (EKA)
- Classic Tree – a more traditional view of a phylogenetic tree, including the number of testers on each branch, the variants, or mutations that define the haplogroup, the era and approximate date of formation, and other details about the tree topology
- Scientific Details Variants Tab – shows the variants that differ in each haplogroup as you reach back in time
- Ancestral Path for the selected haplogroup – outlines your path back to early humans, including Denisovans.
- Match Time Tree for you and your matches (must be signed in to your account and click on mtDNA Discover icon)
- Group Time Tree (coming soon) for those who have joined projects
Match Time Tree
The Match Time Tree is extremely useful because it overlays your matches, plus their earliest known ancestors (EKA), on a genetic Time Tree, by haplogroup and haplotype, so you can see how you may be related, and when.
You can also see your matches that have now fallen into neighboring haplogroups, which suggests that they probably aren’t as genealogically close as people in your haplogroup. However, that’s not always the case, because mutations can occur at any time.
Haplotype Clusters
A haplotype cluster is a new concept introduced specifically for genealogists with the new Mitotree. Haplotypes are identified by numbered “F” groups. Three are shown, below.
There may be groups of people within a haplogroup that have exactly the same mutations, or genetic signature, and no additional mutations. Still, they may not form a new haplogroup. There could be several reasons for not forming a new haplogroup, including known SNP locations where mutations occur that are known to be unstable, such as location 315, which tends to accumulate random insertions and is ignored because of its known instability.
When multiple people share an exactly identical signature, meaning all of the same mutations, they are shown within a haplotype “F” cluster to provide additional specificity to the tree.
The haplotype has been designed to provide additional granularity to the tree and genealogically relevant information. The haplotype “Fxxxxxx” numbers are randomly generated and have no special meaning.
A word of caution here. While the haplotype sequences are identical, it is still possible that another tester from outside the cluster could be a closer relative. For example, they could have accumulated a fast mutating SNP in the last few generations, which would give them a different signature.
Someone who is actually genealogically close to you may be in a different haplotype, or no haplotype at all because no one matches them exactly. For example, if your aunt or sister has a heteroplasmy, they are a close relative and will be in your haplogroup, but won’t be in your haplotype cluster because of the heteroplasmy. So don’t ignore matches who aren’t in your haplotype.
In the above example, under haplogroup V71b, there is one group of three people of unknown origin, meaning they didn’t enter any location for their earliest known ancestor, plus haplotype F9712482 – all of whom are identical matches to each other, but don’t form a new haplogroup.
Beneath V71b is haplogroup V71b1 with nine people, plus two haplotype clusters. F1965416 consists of two people, and F8189900 consists of 16 people.
You can also see haplotype clusters bracketed on any of the Time Trees in mtDNA Discover as well.
More to Come
There’s more information to come in the next few days and weeks, and at RootsTech. I’ll be writing articles when I get back.
For now, take a look to see if you have a new haplogroup. The new haplogroup rollout is being staggered, and you should receive an email when yours has been posted. But there’s no need to wait. Go ahead, sign in and check now, check out mtDNA Discover, and have fun.
Guaranteed, you’ll learn something new, and you may discover the key to a new ancestor!
Resources
Here are additional resources about the new Mitotree, mtDNA Discover, and the associated updates:
- Updated mtDNA Haplotree: 35,000 New Branches for Genealogy Research – FamilyTreeDNA’s announcement article
- Accessing mtDNA Discover™
- Using the mtDNA Discover™ Haplogroup Story Report
- Using the mtDNA Discover™ Classic Tree
- Understanding the mtDNA Haplotree
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Congratulations to the entire Million Mito science team, And of course Bennett Greenspan, and all those contributors who have helped make this launch a success. Also, Chai (one of Roberta’s cats) wants honorable mention for riding herd over all the tasks around the house while Roberta & the team were committed to driving the project through…
Yes, and now she wants extra treats too.
So excited to check my haplogroup, B2y, my son and I have both done the full sequence. We descend from Ho-Chunk Nation tribe (previously known as Winnebago – Minnesota/Wisconsin area).
A huge THANK YOU to the Mitotree Team, the folks at FTDNA, and most especially our genetic genealogy explainer and presenter extraordinaire ,Roberta Estes! Well done!
Thank you so much.
I so so so agree!
Happy Happy Joy Joy, this is wonderful, looking forward to Roots Tech!!
I am so, so, so excited about this! A huge thank you to the team who did all of this work. Its what we have all been impatiently waiting for since the Big Y discoveries came out. Can’t wait to see my new (or same) haplogroup!
Even if it’s the same, mtDNA Discover offers so much new information.
My HV5a is pending the update.
Looking at the timeline, it appears that some members of this haplogroup may have an EKCA at around 1750CE! That’s pretty remarkable for mtdna!
Absolutely love the Million Mito Team picture! Such an attractive and intelligent looking bunch! Thank you ALL for your dedicated work. I am especially proud of you, Roberta, because I feel as though I know you after learning from you over the past several years. Also, we are now 9 R3 cousins instead of 12th, LOL. I can’t wait for my new group to finish cooking. I was delighted to see that Dolley Madison was now on my list of Notables. I have always admired her so!
Wonderful news. Thank you to all the team. I have been hoping/waiting for this for a decade. And now it’s almost here. What with just finding a long lost great grandfather, Feb 2025 is making a big mark on my genealogy.
Oh, I need to hear that story. How did you find him?
Firstly, thank you for all of your team’s hard work and dedication. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this new feature for a while. However, I’m left slightly confused and possibly underwhelmed. I believe I’m in one of those clusters you mention and I’m left wondering, as my badge is still analyzing, does that mean that even with a mutation, I’m likely not to see a more defined haplogroup? (The answer, I’m sure, is staring me in the face, but I’ll blame a lack of coffee and over excitement followed by a slight crash of maybe disappoinment.) Should I remain patient or is my destiny within the same haplogroup I’ve been in with just randomness and no definition? (Apologies if I sound snarky, that’s not my intent, I suppose I’ve just been waiting for two years or more thinking I’d have something more defined to dig into and I maybe won’t, which is a bummer, being honest.) Also, if all will be answered in future posts or more at RootsTech, I’ll attempt patience, again. 😂 Cheers and thanks again, genuinely. I’ve learned much from you over these years and even if I’m sort of disappointed, I know this is potentially game changing for others, so it’s still excited even if not directly.
The new haplogroups are being rolled out individually so as to not overwhelm the system. So, yes, patience. But look at mtDNA Discover for your existing haplogroup. There are 12 new reports waiting there for you. How can you be disappointed about that?
This must be such a satisfying accomplishment for the million mito team! These congratulations are so well earned.
Will the various labs around the world that do mt haplogroup assignments for aDNA need to make any changes to take advantage of the many enhancements that have been introduced?
I can’t answer for them but I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t. There’s really no alternative other than PhyloTree which is 9 years old.
I’m so excited about this. I have been part of the Armenian DNA Project since testing in 2017 and in the H8c group by myself. I tried to find more information on this haplogroup to no avail. Finally very interesting information. Thank you all!
I have already done a full sequence test, yet I don’t have my new haplogroup yet. The shield just says “analyzing”. Am I missing something?
No. You’ll receive an email when it’s ready.
good work,
I was wondering, I had FMS test since 7 years ago, but I didn’t receive a lot of details.
Should I test my mom, her brother and my brother, all of them or just one like my mom, would be enogh.
Or should I test a far cusin that we met at our 2ed greatgrand mother. I know my relatives from my mom side until the 4th greatgrand mother.
Testing your Mom, including autosomal is always a good idea. Her mtDNA is probably the same as yours. I would also test that cousin, especially for autosomal.
Hello Roberta,
I have a question about mtDNA. If I test my brother, he should have the same mtDNA as me. Correct? If so, will FTNDA allow a self-reported mtDNA haplogroup for him at some point. Does my maternal uncle also have the same mtDNA haplogroup. I tested both men’s autosomal and Big-Y DNA, but don’t want to spend extra $$$ to test their mtDNA.
Perhaps you can address this in one of your blogs…. I read every single one!
Peggy
Yes your full brother and maternal uncle’s mtDNA is represented by yours.
Roberta, you and the team are amazing! I love this photograph. It reminds me of the day we met in front of the Cracker Barrel. We came in for a hug, and you said to me, “I thought you’d be blonder,” and I replied, “I thought you’d be taller!”
“Thank you,” you said. 😆
Maybe it’s just because you were bigger than life to me at that time. Get some sleep for RootsTech. I’m looking forward to seeing your presentations (virtually)!
I’m laughing remembering that now! What a good time we had.
Thank you, Roberta Estes, and the rest of the team for all your hard work and research – I’m still waiting for my analysis to finish. The K1a11 maternal line was formed when it branched off from the ancestor K1a11’42’43 and the rest of humankind around 2800 BCE. She is the ancestor of at least 2 descendant lineages known as K1a11a”h and 1 yet unnamed lineage. The most helpful FTDNA Group I joined was the Cumberland Gap-mtDNA Ancestral Path K>K1>K1a>K1a11’42’43’44>K1a11’42’43>K1a11 mitoydna T18631
This is all fascinating, Roberta. My “upgrade” came through yesterday and I’m trying to explore. I am classic H5a4a and H5a4a2 now. I have a couple observations as I look things through.
First – a housekeeping point: FTDNA might wish to work thru the system carefully. I just clicked on “compare” in the drop down menu, selected my own haplogroup, and came up with this msg: “If the H5a4a tester hasn’t yet upgraded to Big Y, further testing may reveal that your paternal connection is more recent than currently identified. ” Hmmm . . . Big Y?
Secondly – I am finding, as I suspect are others, some difficulty interpreting the time tree. My haplotype is said to have an origin about 400 BCE. I have a fairly good number of matches and I’m comfortable that I descend from a particular woman – well documented in history (think Winston Churchill ancestor) who arrived in New England in the 1640s. I have a number of matches clearly descended from that same woman who match me with a “classic” GD of 1 and mutations that occurred a few generation down the road. They show up on a different line on the time tree. It seems to me that since their mutation is more recent, it shouldn’t be connected to 400 BCE. Is this simply a quirk due to the “still working on it” situation?
Thoughts are much appreciated!
I am so excited that I can hardly sit still! But first, thank you to all of you who brought this to fruition! A big virtual hug to all of you who worked so hard on this!
I have a new haplogroup and a haplotype. My original mtDNA haplogroup was U6b2, then mitoYDNA refined it to U6b2a. Now, me and two other of my mtDNA full sequence matches have been refined to U6b2a1. I only had 8 matches at the full sequence level at U6b2. It is allegedly a very rare haplogroup.
I have one exact match, both haplogroup and haplotype (F3907300), a man in England whose brickwall is his grandma or great-grandma (I can’t remember which at the moment). My brickwall is my 2nd great-grandma. The 2nd match who joined me and the man in U6b2a1 is a lady whose ancestor was born here in the United States in 1750.
Our U6b2a1 common ancestor was likely born around 1700. The reason I am so excited is that it gives me hope! If the lady’s ancestor was born in 1750 and our common ancestor was born around 1700, then she could be the maternal grandma of the 1750 grandma. If I can get the 1700 lady figured out and come forward, then maybe I can get my brickwall and hopefully the male match’s brickwall figured out!
I have been trying to figure out my great-grandma’s mother and grandmother for nearly 40 years now. My great-grandma was said to be adopted. But at this point, I am wondering if her birth mother died giving birth to her and her twin sister. So maybe it was a case of her daddy remarrying instead of an actual adoption. I don’t know, but now that I have some boundaries to work with, so to speak, it gives me hope that I will get it figured out.
Thank you so very much for all that you do for the genealogy community!
It’s the time that FTD should consider to put the basic result of mtDNA haplogroup like HVR1 in Family Finder test.
I was expecting that my daughter’s mtDNA new Haplogroup would be more detailed than before, but the opposite was the case. It used to be J1b1a1-T146C! but is now just J1b1a1. Can I expect more detail later?
Part of the answer depends on two things. One is why 146 was eliminated, and I suspect it’s because the back mutation was not reliable. The second part of the answer depends on whether she has other private variants, or mutations, that don’t yet match other people and are reliable. If so, then when some tests and matches her, she and they will likely receive a new haplogroup.
Will there be haplogroup updates during the beta phase, or not until the beta officially ends? Does FTDNA anticipate the beta lasting months, a year, or even years…?
Here’s hoping this initial rollout spurs an influx of new tests to grow the Mitotree!
Yes, there already have been. I don’t know when Beta will end. I know somebody the YDNA Discover features are still beta. I’m with you hoping for a whole raft of new testers!!!