New and Revised mtDNA Haplogroup K Subclade Definitions in PhyloTree Build 13

Most of the new and revised subclades involve only minor changes in definition. However, three changes are significant.

Two high-level subclades were added. K1a14 was added in a new scientific paper based on a new sequence and one from a K Project member. K3 was added based on my discovery of matching sequences from Georgia (not the state) and China.

The revision affecting the most K Project members is the relabeling of our smallest Ashkenazi subclade from K2a2a to K2a2a1. This was caused by a new sequence with 11348T that didn’t have the other defining mutations for the old K2a2a. This required a branching point at the K2a2a level.

These PhyloTree changes will not affect anyone’s FTDNA subclade designation immediately, but will do so eventually.

K1a1: Revised, 114T and 16093C added in parentheses (that means those appear in some, but not all, sequences).

K1a1a: Revised, 16093C moved up to K1a1 level.

K1a1b1a: Revised, 114T moved up to K1a1 level.

K1a1b1c: Revised, 16362C dropped since not all examples have it.

K1a1b2a: Revised, 152C added to definition.

K1a1b2a1: New, defined by 3777C, 15758G.

K1a2b: New, defined by 8005C.

K1a3a1b: Revised, 524 (523) insertions dropped as definers.

K1a4c: Revised, 4586C, 15097C, 15214C, 16234T, dropped from definition since no new sequences have them.

K1a7: Revised, moved out of 16234T branch, with that mutation now in subclade definition.

K1a8: Revised, 7927G moved to K1a8a level.

K1a8a: Revised, 15850G moved to K1a8a1 level, now defined by 7927G (moved from K1a8 level) and 16234T (moved from K7’8 branch). Not listed on Build 13 “New” list.

K1a8a1: New, defined by 7927G (moved from K1a8a level). Not listed on Build 13 “New” list.

K1a14: New, under 195C branch, defined by 8020A, 9977C, 15626T. One of two known sequences is in K Project.

K1a11: Revised, 150T moved up to branch level.

K1a13a: New, defined by 8870C.

K1b1a: Revised, 16463G added to definition, moved up from old K1b1a1.

K1b1a1: Revised, newly defined by 13967T, with 16463G moved up to K1b1a.

K1b1a2: New, defined by 195C, 8260C, 9371T, 15381T, 16093C, 16318T.

K1b2b: Revised, 5237A, 6845T added to definition, moved up from branch level.

K1c1a: Revised, 1393A dropped, now defined by 7082T. Really a new subclade.

K2a2a: Revised, 512C, 9254G, 11914A moved down to K2a2a1.

K2a2a1: New, defined by 512C, 9254G, 11914A. (Now becomes the Ashkenazi subclade.)

K2a3a: New, defined by 12795A, 13708A.

K3: New, defined by 150T, 195C, 235G, 560T, 7657C, 8188G, 9852T, 14212C, 16093C, 16148T, 16153A. No FTDNA examples.

Bill Hurst

Administrator, mtDNA Haplogroup K Project