PhyloD3 — Interactive Human mtDNA Phylogenetic Tree Explorer

Explore the Human Mitochondrial DNA Phylogenetic Tree

PhyloD3 is a free, interactive visualization of the complete human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) phylogenetic tree, covering 5,400+ haplogroups from the mitochondrial Eve (mt-MRCA) to terminal branches. Built on data from PhyloTree (van Oven & Kayser, 2009).

What is the mtDNA phylogenetic tree?

The human mitochondrial DNA phylogenetic tree traces maternal lineage inheritance through mutations in mitochondrial DNA. Every person inherits their mtDNA exclusively from their mother, making it a powerful tool for tracing maternal ancestry across thousands of years. The tree organizes all known human mtDNA variation into a hierarchy of haplogroups — from the deepest African lineages (L0–L6) through the out-of-Africa macro-haplogroups M, N, and R, down to region-specific branches like H, V, J, T, U, K, and beyond.

Features

Common haplogroups

The tree includes all major haplogroups documented by PhyloTree: African lineages L0, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6; Asian and Oceanian lineages M, C, D, E, G, Z; the northern Eurasian branch N, A, I, S, W, X, Y; and the western Eurasian supergroup R including B, F, H, HV, J, K, T, U, V. Each can be explored interactively, with subtree expansion and collapse at any level.