David Pike: Results and Mathematics Professor

david pike: The profile -- called H5a5, plus another unnamed mutation -- is likely European in origin, according to CTV. It has appeared in about 10 per cent of the 264 people across the province who have supplied mitochondrial DNA for the online project. David Pike, a mathematics professor and genealogist, said the rare mitochondrial DNA profile caught his attention over a decade ago when it began popping up frequently in test results for a Newfoundland and Labrador genealogy project. Compared to thousands of results from other countries, however, it's extremely rare. Pike said the results point to a possible founder effect, where a biological trait becomes commonplace when passed down from a small group of colonizing ancestors. Only a handful of people from Europe -- fewer than 10 -- have been found to test positive for the specific profile, and almost all those have roots in Newfoundland and Labrador. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.