Columbia University Irving Medical Center. (2024, August 22). Mitochondria are flinging their DNA into our brain cells. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 1, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240822142624.htm

Stunning finding: "Mitochondria in our brain cells frequently fling their DNA into the nucleus, the study found, where the DNA becomes integrated into the cells' chromosomes. And these insertions may be causing harm: Among the study's nearly 1,200 participants, those with more mitochondrial DNA insertions in their brain cells were more likely to die earlier than those with fewer insertions."

Quote from the article: "Mitochondria are cellular processors and a mighty signaling platform," Picard says. "We knew they can control which genes are turned on or off. Now we know mitochondria can even change the nuclear DNA sequence itself."

Open Access Article Source: Somatic nuclear mitochondrial DNA insertions are prevalent in the human brain and accumulate over time in fibroblasts
Zhou W, Karan KR, Gu W, Klein HU, Sturm G, et al. (2024) Somatic nuclear mitochondrial DNA insertions are prevalent in the human brain and accumulate over time in fibroblasts. PLOS Biology 22(8): e3002723. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002723

Findings from a 2024 Open Access research paper with mention of A, A2, C1, C1c and D4 mitochondrial DNA haplogroups show how old and inter-related Amerindian peoples are here in the Americas -- and that modern populations share the same DNA with ancient ancestors.

 "Radiocarbon dating (14C) demonstrated that the inhabitants of Puyil Cave lived during the Archaic and Classic Periods and displayed tabular oblique and tabular mimetic ACD. These pre-Hispanic remains exhibited five mtDNA lineages: A, A2, C1, C1c and D4. Network analysis revealed a close genetic affinity between pre-Hispanic Puyil Cave inhabitants and contemporary Maya subpopulations from Mexico and Guatemala, as well as individuals from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and China."

Source: Navarro-Romero MT, Muñoz ML, Krause-Kyora B, Cervini-Silva J, Alcalá-Castañeda E, David RE. Bioanthropological analysis of human remains from the archaic and classic period discovered in Puyil cave, Mexico. Am J Biol Anthropol. 2024 Jun;184(2):e24903. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.24903. Epub 2024 Feb 2. PMID: 38308451. Open Access Report is located here (free to read and share): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.24903

There is something we need to learn about "those critters" and cross-species adaptations. Here's a quote from the article:

"This broader focus will not only increase inclusivity in this research but also deepen the understanding of how different species adapt to their environments. By applying these novel methods to diverse organisms – such as primates, rodents, snakes, insects and plants – our researchers will tackle significant evolutionary questions and uncover new insights across a range of biological contexts."

 See: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240903/NIH-funds-study-on-complex-evolutionary-adaptation-in-human-DNA.aspx

See also: https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/grant-decode-human-evolution.php

So pleased to see the latest blog post by Miguel Vilar about the C-P39 Y DNA Haplogroup (shared below).  Men only: If you have had a Y chromosome DNA test with Family Tree DNA, and have tested positive for the C-P39 Y DNA SNP or one of its subclades, please join us at the C-P39 Y DNA Family Tree DNA Project and the Acadian Amerindian Ancestry DNA Project where the C-P39 Y DNA haplogroup and its subclades are well-represented by project members.

Reference: Vilar, M. (2024, July 30). "Haplogroup C, a Hidden Paternal American Lineage That Beat the Odds and Survived: Explore the intriguing survival of haplogroup C—one of the world’s oldest Y-chromosome lineages—its ancient dispersion across continents, and its continued presence in North and South America despite the dominance of haplogroup Q."  Family Tree DNA Blog Post. https://blog.familytreedna.com/haplogroup-c-paternal-american-lineage/

See also: "Notable Connections": https://discover.familytreedna.com/y-dna/C-P39/notable