A recent blog post from FamilyTreeDNA, the first in a five-part series, delves into the importance of mitochondrial DNA in genealogical research. The unique inheritance, only passed down from mother to child, aids genealogists to follow the maternal thread through generations.
The blog post covers the changes, including transitions, transversions, reversions, insertions, deletions, and heteroplasmies, that create distinct patterns that can be used to identify genetic connections.