What insights have analyses of human mitochondrial DNA provide...

Question

What insights have analyses of human mitochondrial DNA provided into our recent evolutionary past?

Accepted Answer

Hello everyone and welcome to today's video. So which of these statements about human mitochondrial DNA and our evolutionary past is going to be false. So let's go over each of the statements provided in the problem so that we can select the incorrect one beginning by answer choice. A. So mitochondrial DNA provides insight into maternal ancestry. So if you recall from previous videos, mitochondrial DNA is going to only be inherited from mother to offspring because it is inherited from the mother, we can definitely use mitochondrial DNA to obtain some insight into maternal ancestry. This is a correct statement since we're looking for the false one or the incorrect one, we're going to cancel it out. Then we have the mitochondrial DNA can be used to trace migration and human dispersal. Now, because mitochondrial DNA can provide insight into maternal ancestry, we can use it to determine certain locations and to trace back the migration and human dispersal that have occurred in the past by looking at the possible or just comparing these mitochondrial DNA. This is a true statement as well. So we're going to cancel it out. Then we have C this is also an accurate statement, this mitochondrial DNA or occur or the mutations occurring in DNA usually happen faster. Then nuclear mutations which are happening in the nucleus because this mitochondrial DNA is going to be subject to fewer repair mechanisms. So mutations are going to happen at a much faster rate. This is also a true statement. So we're going to cancel it out. And then finally, we have T mitochondrial DNA is inherited from both parents. So if we go back to answer choice, A we stated that mitochondrial DNA is only inherited from mother to offspring, it is not going to be inherited from the father. So this is going to be an incorrect statement and what the question is asking for. So answer choice, deep mitochondrial DNA is inherited from both parents is going to be the final answer for this question. I really hope this video helped you and I hope to see you on the next one.

What insights have analyses of human mitochondrial DNA provided into our recent evolutionary past?

Key Concepts

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)

Phylogenetics

Human Evolution

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