Editing Galton–Watson process (section)

=== Genetics ===
The Galton–Watson model is an accurate{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}} description of [[Y chromosome]] transmission in genetics, and the model is thus useful for understanding [[human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup]]s. Likewise, since [[mitochondria]] are inherited only on the maternal line, the same mathematical formulation describes transmission of mitochondria.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Armando G. M. Neves |author2=Carlos H. C. Moreira |title=Applications of the Galton–Watson process to human DNA evolution and demography |journal=Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and Its Applications |volume=368 |issue=1 |pages=132–146 |year=2006 |doi=10.1016/j.physa.2005.11.055 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437106001099 |access-date=25 November 2024|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

It explains (perhaps closest to Galton's original interest) why only a handful of males in the deep past of humanity now have ''any'' surviving male-line descendants, reflected in a rather small number of distinctive [[human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}