A prototype object database for mitochondrial DNA variation.

Surveys of biochemical and molecular genetic variation in natural populations have generated a wealth of data, but this valuable resource has not been adequately preserved. We hope to prevent further loss by establishing a community database for population genetic surveys. We explored the feasibility of a population genetics database by developing a prototype for animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) surveys. This prototype includes the specification of a format for data files that are to be submitted to the database, an open-source object database that encapsulates data with methods to display and analyze data, and a website where data can be retrieved in either its original form or extensible markup language (XML). Data from more than 50 published surveys of mtDNA variation were retrieved from the literature and entered into the database. We hope that the population genetics community will support this project by contributing both data and expertise.