Saami mitochondrial DNA reveals deep maternal lineage clusters

The mitochondrial DNA of 62 Saami from the north of Norway was analyzed in the D loop hypervariable region I and II and sequences were compared to other gene pools. Two major (lineage 1 and 2) and two minor (lineage 3 and 4) maternal lineage clusters were found. Lineage 1 (56.9% of all hitherto analyzed Saami samples) contains a substantial number of branching haplotypes which are unknown in European gene pools. Lineage 2 (31.5%) and lineage 4 (3.6%) have few branching points and are present at a low rate throughout European gene pools. Lineage 3 (4.7%) has polymorphisms characteristic of circumpolar lineages.