Mitochondrial Haplotype
Definition
A specific variant of mitochondrial DNA sequence. Because mitochondria are inherited maternally, haplotypes track female lineages and cluster by nesting rookery in species with natal homing.
- Inheritance
- Maternal lineage
- Application
- Sea turtle forensics and wildlife tracing
- Clustering
- By nesting rookery in species with natal homing
- Tracks
- Female lineage, not paternal ancestry
Common questions
How does mitochondrial haplotype data help identify the origin of illegally trafficked sea turtle products?+
Because turtles with natal homing return to nest at their birth rookery, and mtDNA passes unchanged down the maternal line, a haplotype found in a confiscated product can often be matched to a known regional rookery, indicating the geographic population the animal came from.
Why is mitochondrial haplotype analysis preferred over nuclear DNA for rookery assignment in sea turtles?+
Rookery-level population structure is driven specifically by female natal philopatry, the tendency to return to the birth beach to nest, which is a maternally transmitted behaviour. Nuclear DNA is shuffled by both parents each generation and mixed by male-mediated gene flow between populations, which can obscure the same rookery-specific signal.
Can mitochondrial haplotype evidence identify an individual turtle rather than just its population of origin?+
No, it identifies the maternal lineage and typically the likely rookery population, not a unique individual. Many unrelated turtles from the same nesting population can share an identical haplotype, so it functions as population-level, not individual-level, evidence.
Related terms
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- Imbricate vs Juxtaposed Scutes
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- Natal Homing
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- PIT Tag
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- Scute
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