Haplogroup Q-NWT01 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haplogroup Q-NWT01 |
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|---|---|
| Possible time of origin | Between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago |
| Possible place of origin | Asia or Beringia |
| Ancestor | Q-MEH2 |
| Descendants | Q-M120 |
| Defining mutations | NWT01 |
Haplogroups are like special family groups for your DNA. They help scientists understand how people moved around the world over thousands of years. Haplogroup Q-NWT01 is a specific DNA family group found in the Y-chromosome. This means it is passed down from fathers to their sons. Scientists identify this group by looking for a tiny change in DNA called NWT01. This haplogroup began a long time ago, between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago. It likely started in Asia or a land bridge called Beringia. It is a branch of a larger DNA family known as Q-MEH2.
Contents
Where is Q-NWT01 Found?
Scientists first discovered Haplogroup Q-NWT01 in people living in the Northwest Territories of Canada. This is why it has "NWT" in its name.
Q-NWT01 in the Americas
This DNA group is present in people who lived in the Canadian Northwest before Christopher Columbus arrived. These are called pre-Columbian populations. It has also been found in an ancient person from the Saqqaq culture. This culture lived in prehistoric Greenland.
Scientists have studied different groups to see how common Q-NWT01 is:
- Among the Tłı̨chǫ people, about 2.7% have this haplogroup.
- Among the Inuvialuit people, about 44.6% have it.
- Among the Iñupiat people, about 60% have it.
Q-NWT01 in Asia
We do not know exactly how common Q-NWT01 is in Asia. This is because not many DNA samples from Asia have been tested for it. However, a related DNA group, haplogroup Q-M120, is very common across Asia. It is found from Azerbaijan in the west to Japan in the east. It is also found from Mongolia in the north to Brunei in the south. Scientists know that Q-M120 is a branch of Q-NWT01. Also, DNA similar to the Saqqaq person from Greenland has been found in the Koryaks people in Asia.
How Q-NWT01 is Identified
Haplogroup Q-NWT01 is currently identified by just one specific DNA change. This change is called the NWT01 SNP. An SNP (pronounced "snip") is a tiny difference in a single building block of DNA.
Sometimes, this NWT01 SNP is called by other names. For example, in the National Geographic Geno 2.0 DNA test, it is called F746. This is because it was found independently in another study. It can also be called PR4083.
See Also
- Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup
Y-DNA Family Tree
