Mitochondrial Genome Variation: a Female Perspective in Evolution

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences are powerful genetic records of the history of populations and species, and the study of their evolution is profoundly changing our perception on how modern humans and animals evolved and colonized the entire planet. By studying concomitantly the sequence variation in individuals or populations, it is possible to acquire sufficient and reliable information concerning genetic ancestries and migrations, starting from their homelands, all the way to the four corners of the earth. A remarkable case study in human population genetics is represented by the Native Americans. They belong to one of the few extant human groups whose ancestors entered a vast uninhabited area over a relatively short interval and then remained isolated from other human contacts for a considerable period of time. The overall picture about the first peopling of the Americas is gradually emerging much clearer and detailed also thanks to the contributions provided by phylogenetic surveys of entire mtDNAs. The molecular and phylogenetic survey of complete mitogenomes is now also applied to reconstruct the major processes that lead to the domestication and spread of some important mammals (e.g. cattle, horses and goats). Moreover, since after domestication, the diffusion of livestock completely depended on human events and migrations, it is also conceivable that the genetic diversity of modern livestock might provide further details about the history of human movements.