Haplogroup L0 (mtDNA)

Haplogroup L0
Possible time of origin	112,200 to 188,000 YBP or 136,300 to 168,500 YBP
Possible place of origin	Southern Africa
Ancestor	L ()
Descendants	L0a'b'f'k, L0d
Defining mutations	263!, 1048, 3516A, 5442, 6185, 9042, 9347, 10589, 12007, 12720

Haplogroup L0 is a (mtDNA) haplogroup.

L0 is one of two branches from the (MRCA) for the shared human maternal lineage. The haplogroup consists of five main branches (L0a, L0b, L0d, L0f, L0k). Four of them were originally classified into L1 subclades, L1a, L1d, L1f and L1k.

In 2014, ancient DNA analysis of a 2,330 year old male forager's skeleton in Southern Africa found that the specimen belonged to the L0d2c1c mtDNA subclade. This maternal haplogroup is today most closely associated with the Ju, a subgroup of the indigenous San people, which points to population continuity in the region. In 2016, a Late Iron Age desiccated mummy from the Tuli region in northern Botswana was also found to belong to haplogroup L0.

 L0a

 L0b

 L0f

 L0k

 L0d

L1

 L2-6

L0 is found most commonly in the Sub-Saharan Africa. It reaches its highest frequency in the Khoisan people at 73%. Some of the higher frequencies are:Namibia (!Xun) 79%, South Africa (Khwe/!Xun) 83%, and Botswana (!Kung) 100%.

Haplogroup L0d is the most divergent ("ancient") haplogroup of global mitochondrial DNA haplogroups. It is found at highest frequencies in the Khoisan groups of Southern Africa. L0d is also commonly found in the Coloured population of South Africa and frequencies range from 60% to 71%. This illustrates the massive maternal contribution of Khoisan people to the Coloured population of South Africa.

Haplogroups L0k is the second most common haplogroup in the Khoisan groups (following L0d) and is largely restricted to the Khoisan. Interestingly, while the Khoisan associated L0d haplogroup were found in high frequencies in the Coloured population of South Africa, L0k were not observed in two studies involving large groups of Coloured individuals.

...
Wikipedia