Data from: The history of the North African mitochondrial DNA haplogroup U6 gene flow into the African, Eurasian and American continents

Background: Complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome analyses have
greatly improved the phylogeny and phylogeography of human mtDNA. Human
mitochondrial DNA haplogroup U6 has been considered as a molecular signal
of a Paleolithic return to North Africa of modern humans from southwestern
Asia. Results: Using 230 complete sequences we have refined the U6
phylogeny, and improved the phylogeographic information by the analysis of
761 partial sequences. This approach provides chronological limits for its
arrival to Africa, followed by its spreads there according to climatic
fluctuations, and its secondary prehistoric and historic migrations out of
Africa colonizing Europe, the Canary Islands and the American Continent.
Conclusions: The U6 expansions and contractions inside Africa faithfully
reflect the climatic fluctuations that occurred in this Continent
affecting also the Canary Islands. Mediterranean contacts drove these
lineages to Europe, at least since the Neolithic. In turn, the European
colonization brought different U6 lineages throughout the American
Continent leaving the specific sign of the colonizers origin.