In Huge Shock, Mitochondrial DNA Can Be Inherited from Fathers

Wasn’t this first discovered in 2002? Unclear why it’s currently taking up two top spots on HN, with headlines like “Plot Twist” and “Huge Shock”.

Not well-versed in genetics, but isn't it just possible that this finding could be explained by casting some doubt on who the father actually is? If the mitochondrial DNA came from a father with a different mother, it could look like it came from a different father? that sort of thing.

There's an article in the NEJM from 2002 reporting something similar [1] - at least to me as a layman. Since the linked PNAS paper is paywalled, can anyone comment on what's actually new with this announcement?

[1] Paternal Inheritance of Mitochondrial DNA https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa020350