Most usage of supercluster in population genetics research articles applies to proposed large groups of human mtDNA

haplotype A haplotype ( haploid genotype) is a group of alleles in an organism that are inherited together from a single parent. Many organisms contain genetic material ( DNA) which is inherited from two parents. Normally these organisms have their DNA or ...

lineage Lineage may refer to: Science * Lineage (anthropology), a group that can demonstrate its common descent from an apical ancestor or a direct line of descent from an ancestor * Lineage (evolution), a temporal sequence of individuals, populati ...

s, found by

cluster analysis Cluster analysis or clustering is the task of grouping a set of objects in such a way that objects in the same group (called a cluster) are more similar (in some sense) to each other than to those in other groups (clusters). It is a main task of ...

, that are thought to stem from a single distant most recent common ancestor, on a time scale of tens of thousands of years.

Other usage

Usage of ''supercluster'' for geographically defined

human populations Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...

instead of mtDNA strains is rarely seen. However, it does appear in the seminal

Cavalli-Sforza Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (; 25 January 1922 – 31 August 2018) was an Italian geneticist. He was a population geneticist who taught at the University of Parma, the University of Pavia and then at Stanford University. Works Schooling and po ...

paper

''Reconstruction of human evolution: bringing together genetic, archaeological, and linguistic data.'' (1988) to describe "Northeurasian" and "Southeast Asian" collections of sampled populations, which are also more frequently referred to in the paper as "major cluster" or simply "cluster". Therefore use of "supercluster" as a

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

for "race" might be considered a neologism or, more likely, an idiosyncratic usage according to the Google test. Usage of ''supercluster'' for populations as well as haplotypes makes the term ambiguous and may require clarification when the word is used.

External links

Examples of usage to describe haplogroups, not races:

The sub-Saharan African mtDNAs belong largely to an mtDNA supercluster L

More than 90% of European mtDNAs belong to nine haplogroups (Fig. 1), which are highly specific for Western Eurasia (4, 6). These clusters are all thought to originate from one supercluster, L3n (N).

The main determinants of this PC analysis are therefore the HV supercluster members, haplogroups H, HV, and pre-HV. Actually, whereas in the European populations haplogroup H reaches its highest frequencies, HV and pre-HV mtDNAs (when present) have a very low incidence.

We have denoted it as lineage M-I as it is obviously different from other members of M supercluster occurring in Siberia/Asia.

A high frequency of mtDNA types belonging to Asian supercluster M was peculiar for Yakuts

A high frequency of mtDNA types belonging to Asian supercluster M was peculiar for Yakuts Ethnicity Population genetics