The World’s Largest mtDNA Haplotree

FamilyTreeDNA maintains the world’s largest mtDNA haplotree, built from millions of data points contributed by customers around the world and decades of innovation in maternal-line genetic genealogy.

FamilyTreeDNA is proud to host the world’s largest mtDNA haplotree — a living, evolving record of human maternal ancestry. Built from millions of data points contributed by customers around the world, the tree continues to grow and refine as new results are added and existing branches are better understood.

In this update, we highlight the current state of the mtDNA haplotree, including overall growth in branches, notable haplogroups, and newly added ancient connections. Whether you’re a genetic genealogist, population researcher, or DNA enthusiast, these updates offer insight into how maternal lineages connect us across generations — one mitochondrial sequence at a time.

What Is the mtDNA Haplotree?

The mtDNA haplotree is a branching structure that shows how maternal lineages are related based on shared mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) changes. It is built using mutations found across the full mitochondrial genome, which is passed from mothers to their children over generations. Each branching point on the tree represents a shared maternal ancestor, allowing researchers to trace maternal lineages across both recent history and deep time.

How mtFull Sequence Powers the Haplotree

The mtDNA haplotree is powered by full mitochondrial genome testing through FamilyTreeDNA’s mtFull Sequence test. By analyzing the entire mitochondrial DNA sequence, mtFull Sequence provides the high-resolution data needed to accurately place individuals on the mtDNA haplotree and identify previously unknown branching points.

As more full mtDNA sequences are added, the tree continues to expand and refine, improving resolution within maternal lineages and revealing new connections that were not previously visible.

In other words: when you take an mtFull Sequence test, you don’t just learn about your maternal ancestry — you contribute directly to the continued growth and refinement of the mtDNA haplotree.

Explore Your mtDNA Haplogroup with Discover™

Once you’re placed on the mtDNA haplotree, Discover haplogroup reports provide free additional context for understanding your maternal lineage. These interactive reports allow you to explore:

Historical background and geography: Your mtDNA haplogroup’s historical context and geographic distribution
Ancient connections: Ancient individuals from archaeological excavations around the world that are associated with your maternal line
Timelines and branching: Estimated timelines and major branching events within the haplotree

You can also explore reports for other mtDNA haplogroups, making Discover a valuable resource for genealogists, project administrators, and researchers interested in maternal-line history and population studies.

Why Is FamilyTreeDNA’s Tree the Largest?

FamilyTreeDNA maintains the world’s largest mtDNA haplotree because of its combination of deep full-sequence testing, years of active stewardship, and continuous scientific curation. By developing novel methods and analyzing a vastly larger and growing dataset, the mtDNA Tree of Humankind has evolved into a far more detailed and genealogically useful resource.

Our mtFull Sequence test provides complete mitochondrial genome data, allowing for accurate placement on the tree and ongoing refinement of maternal lineages as new results are added. Each high-quality mtDNA result contributes directly to improving the resolution of the haplotree.

Here’s what sets FamilyTreeDNA’s mtDNA tree apart:

Full-sequence data: Powered by full mitochondrial genome sequencing
Scientific curation: Continuously curated by an in-house scientific team
Ongoing refinement: Regularly refined as new data becomes available
Unmatched scale: Tens of thousands of mtDNA branches, far exceeding earlier public versions of the tree

Other mtDNA trees rely primarily on static, publicly available datasets. In contrast, FamilyTreeDNA’s mtDNA haplotree is dynamic — growing, refining, and improving as part of an active research ecosystem supported by the global genetic genealogy community.

The Current Size of The Updated mtDNA Haplotree

Number of mtDNA Haplotree Branches
	PhyloTree**																Maier et al.***	Mitotree
	2008		2009				2010			2011			2012		2014	2016	2022	2025		2026		March
HG	Aug	Oct	Mar	Jul	Sep	Nov	Mar	Jun	Aug	Feb	Jul	Dec	Apr	Sep	Feb	Feb	Mar	Mar	Nov	Jan	Mar	Added	Growth	HG
A	41	41	50	52	53	54	55	57	58	61	61	79	87	108	151	158	157	1,238	1,717	1,732	1,693	-39	-2.25%	A
B	76	76	76	88	92	94	94	101	102	113	115	133	137	157	254	322	322	1,342	2,347	2,355	2,304	-51	-2.17%	B
C	28	28	27	27	41	54	57	76	77	84	86	107	113	117	132	148	148	830	1,301	1,329	1,302	-27	-2.03%	C
*CZ	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	0.00%	CZ*
D	117	117	117	158	159	179	179	197	202	210	211	232	247	260	312	334	334	900	1,481	1,498	1,436	-62	-4.14%	D
E	15	15	15	15	17	17	17	17	17	17	17	18	19	19	20	32	32	55	116	116	116	0	0.00%	E
F	35	35	35	34	35	35	35	35	37	39	39	55	55	63	83	104	104	296	617	620	584	-36	-5.81%	F
G	33	33	33	33	37	40	40	40	40	40	40	45	45	51	63	73	73	145	261	268	253	-15	-5.60%	G
H	68	68	129	148	149	149	149	149	151	157	160	163	791	806	859	978	977	12,075	14,331	14,455	14,516	61	0.42%	H
*HV	21	22	26	28	28	28	28	30	31	33	36	51	61	67	72	94	94	1,021	1,246	1,263	1,265	2	0.16%	HV*
I	7	7	12	12	12	12	12	16	16	17	16	17	29	32	58	63	63	780	1,083	1,090	1,086	-4	-0.37%	I
J	13	30	41	52	52	52	54	54	54	57	57	67	106	203	209	240	240	2,833	3,372	3,343	3,356	13	0.39%	J
*JT	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	0.00%	JT*
K	54	54	69	69	69	69	72	75	75	76	76	85	158	163	183	198	198	2,176	2,670	2,684	2,705	21	0.78%	K
*L	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	7	7	7	7	7	0	0.00%	L*
L0	55	55	55	55	55	63	63	63	63	63	63	64	65	68	138	157	157	391	728	739	737	-2	-0.27%	L0
L1	55	55	55	55	55	59	59	59	59	64	64	69	75	91	100	100	100	771	1,026	1,015	1,024	9	0.89%	L1
L2	52	52	52	54	56	56	56	56	57	63	65	83	86	99	132	132	132	1,109	1,524	1,529	1,533	4	0.26%	L2
*L3	94	94	94	94	94	105	105	106	106	108	108	123	128	147	200	200	199	1,322	1,826	1,837	1,856	19	1.03%	L3*
L4	15	15	15	15	15	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	17	17	17	98	149	152	156	4	2.63%	L4
L5	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	12	12	32	40	42	43	44	1	2.33%	L5
L6	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	12	15	15	15	0	0.00%	L6
L7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	14	15	21	21	21	0	0.00%	L7
*M	184	193	206	198	220	360	375	379	384	413	423	447	451	459	625	685	685	1,681	2,876	2,923	2,884	-39	-1.33%	M*
*N	47	47	54	54	52	52	52	52	53	67	68	75	79	88	108	121	121	533	776	794	788	-6	-0.76%	N*
O	0	0	0	0	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	3	5	10	12	12	0	0.00%	O
P	21	21	20	20	22	22	22	22	22	22	22	22	22	22	24	29	28	116	223	308	313	5	1.62%	P
Q	10	14	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	15	17	17	40	40	51	179	279	274	-5	-1.79%	Q
*R	67	67	67	79	89	91	93	94	115	116	119	123	127	136	156	165	165	661	953	967	952	-15	-1.55%	R*
S	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	8	8	8	8	42	70	80	80	0	0.00%	S
T	8	23	37	37	37	37	38	41	41	43	44	53	114	182	190	230	230	2,973	3,553	3,576	3,599	23	0.64%	T
*U	78	78	127	141	140	140	144	199	204	212	214	236	328	353	459	533	533	5,212	6,452	6,540	6,568	28	0.43%	U*
V	5	5	13	20	20	20	20	20	20	21	21	22	48	50	52	61	61	889	1,062	1,068	1,072	4	0.37%	V
W	8	8	13	15	15	15	16	21	21	21	24	27	40	41	58	60	60	700	836	826	825	-1	-0.12%	W
X	20	20	32	37	37	37	38	39	41	41	41	41	54	60	67	89	89	662	786	794	796	2	0.25%	X
Y	5	5	6	6	8	8	8	8	7	8	8	8	8	10	11	14	14	33	69	70	68	-2	-2.86%	Y
Z	8	8	7	7	10	16	16	16	18	18	18	18	18	18	26	27	27	67	129	131	119	-12	-9.16%	Z
Total	1,268	1,314	1,526	1,646	1,714	1,923	1,956	2,081	2,130	2,243	2,275	2,523	3,551	3,933	4,810	5,438	5,469	41,083	53,856	54,481	54,361	-120	-0.22%	Total

* Excluding downstream root haplogroups of macrohaplogroups.

** van Oven M, Kayser M. Updated comprehensive phylogenetic tree of global human mitochondrial DNA variation. Hum Mutat. 2009;30(2):E386-E394.

*** Maier PA, Ruenfeld G, Estes RJ, Vilar MG. African mitochondrial haplogroup L7: A 100,000-year-old maternal human lineage discovered through reassessment and new sequencing. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):1-14.

Haplotree Branches

Total branches: 54,361
Growth: -120
Growth rate: -0.22%

Top contributors

Haplogroup H: +61 (largest numerical growth)
Haplogroup U: +28 (+0.43%)
Haplogroup T: +23 (+0.64%)
Haplogroup K: +21 (+0.71%)
Haplogroup L3*: +19 (+1.03%)

Why Some mtDNA Haplogroups May Lose Branches

You may have noticed that the number of branches has dropped for some haplogroups. As part of the development during the beta phase, we are not only working on adding more branches. We are also pruning the tree by identifying and removing branches with low support. These refinements help ensure that haplogroup assignments are based on strong, well-supported data, making the mtDNA haplotree more accurate and reliable over time.

Ancient Connections

Total ancient connections: 14,191
Added: +904

Why These Numbers Matter

This isn’t just about numbers. The world’s largest mtDNA haplotree:

Helps researchers and genealogists trace maternal lineages with greater precision and break genealogical brick walls
Provides deeper insight into shared maternal ancestry across populations and time
Supports scientific research into population history, migration, and maternal inheritance

As the mtDNA haplotree continues to expand and refine, these improvements increase its value not only for individual researchers, but also for broader historical and scientific studies that rely on accurate maternal-line data.

How You Can Contribute

Every branch in the mtDNA haplotree begins with a tester. Want to help grow and refine the tree?

Take or upgrade to the mtFull Sequence test to determine your precise placement on the mtDNA haplotree
Join an mtDNA Group Project to collaborate with others researching shared maternal ancestry
Encourage relatives to test, especially those from underrepresented regions or maternal lineages

Your mtDNA test doesn’t just reveal your maternal history — it helps improve the mtDNA haplotree and deepen our understanding of maternal ancestry across generations.

Stay Updated

This page reflects the most current state of the mtDNA haplotree and will be updated as new refinements are made. Feel free to bookmark it, share it with your genetic genealogy group, or cite it in your research as a reference point for the mtDNA Tree of Humankind.

We’ll continue sharing mtDNA tree highlights and updates across our channels, but this page will always serve as the central resource for the most up-to-date information about the mtDNA haplotree.

Let’s keep growing this tree — together.