Molecular Anthropology - Haploid Loci in Molecular Anthropology

Haploid Loci in Molecular Anthropology

There are two continuous linkage groups in human that are carried by a single sex. The first is the Y chromosome, which is passed from father to son. Anatomical females carry a Y chromosome only rarely, as a result of genetic defect. The other linkage group is the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). MtDNA can only be passed to the next generation by females but only under highly exceptional circumstances is mtDNA passed through males. The non-recombinant portion of the Y chromosome and the mtDNA, under normal circumstances, do not undergo productive recombination. Part of the Y chromosome can undergo recombination with the X chromosome and within ape history the boundary has changed. Such recombinant changes in the non-recombinant region of Y are extremely rare.