Ötzi’s father’s haplogroup is G2a-L91, which is widely present today throughout the Mediterranean. By comparing Ötzi’s genetic data with data from other European Neolithic samples and data from modern populations, Coia and her team determined that the mitochondrial lineage of the Iceman’s mother, K1f, originated locally in the Alps in a population that did not grow demographically and is now extinct. To determine if K1f was still present in modern European populations, Coia’s team then analysed 1,077 modern mtDNA samples from the K haplogroup. Forty-two participants came from the Alps and had mothers and grandmothers whose origins were confirmed to be from the region. The conclusion: Ötzi’s mtDNA, K1f, is nowhere to be found today (with 95% certainty of less than 0.3% frequency). “During the time of the Iceman,” Coia continues, “Ötzi’s father’s haplogroup G2a had spread throughout Europe and was present at quite high frequencies. By contrast, his mother´s haplogroup K1f was present only in the Alps, and probably at very low frequency.” Later demographic changes that would occur in Europe after 5,000 ybp (years before present) shaped the genetic structure of Europeans by replacing many genetic lineages. Archeological data suggests that K1f was more vulnerable due to its low frequency and the low population density of alpine groups in the Iceman’s territory (the Vinschgau valley) during the Neolithic and Copper Ages (5,450-4,150 ybp). “These demographic changes partially replaced G2a lineage, but ended up being fatal to K1f over time. It simply died out,” Coia concludes.