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Abstract
Human mitochondrial DNA is widely used as tool in many fields including evolutionary
anthropology and population history, medical genetics, genetic genealogy, and forensic
science. Many applications require detailed knowledge about the phylogenetic relationship
of mtDNA variants. Although the phylogenetic resolution of global human mtDNA diversity
has greatly improved as a result of increasing sequencing efforts of complete mtDNA
genomes, an updated overall mtDNA tree is currently not available. In order to facilitate
a better use of known mtDNA variation, we have constructed an updated comprehensive
phylogeny of global human mtDNA variation, based on both coding- and control region
mutations. This complete mtDNA tree includes previously published as well as newly
identified haplogroups, is easily navigable, will be continuously and regularly updated
in the future, and is online available at http://www.phylotree.org.
(c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.