The Y-chromosome seems to get most of the attention, at least for the male of the species. The mtDNA often gets lost in the tree branches along the way, as the family grows for generations. Interesting that it was the mtDNA that opened the doors to the world of genetic genealogy and the study of our DNA existence upon this planet. Not surprising that it is the females who often keep the family's stories, and pass them on to later generations. This was especially true in my family.
The picture to the right shows my immediate mtDNA. Mom standing with her Mom. It must have been a bright and sunny summer day. Summer dresses, sun glasses, sandals, and oh yes, another picture to be taken. Granny has her arm around Mom, holding her left shoulder. My mtDNA to you, my dear, it seems to say. Granny squinting her eyes against the sun's bright rays. I can not tell if Mom is wearing her wedding ring yet, but I guess this picture would have been taken in the mid-to-late 1940s. Granny has a flower placed in her dress, and I know how much she loved flowers and plants. Their shadows are cast almost directly backward. Yes, my Y-chromosome gets most of the attention in these posts, but it is this mtDNA that takes up half.
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