Overview
C1c is a rare but informative Paleolithic branch of haplogroup C, representing remnants of early southern coastal migrations across the Indian Ocean rim. It likely formed among early hunter-gatherer groups in South Asia or coastal regions stretching from India through Southeast Asia. Today, C1c is extremely uncommon, surviving primarily in isolated populations and in ancient DNA, where it provides a window into the earliest expansions of anatomically modern humans along the Indian Ocean corridor.
Geographic distribution
Modern occurrences are scattered at low frequencies in India, Sri Lanka, island Southeast Asia and occasionally mainland Southeast Asia. Some Andamanese and coastal tribal groups show affinity to ancestral C1c signals.
Ancient DNA
- Early Holocene individuals in Southeast Asia display C1c-like basal signatures.
- Genetic continuity in some South Asian tribal groups reflects ancestry linked to ancient coastal dispersals.
- Late Pleistocene remains from Southeast Asia occasionally align with the C1c/Near-C1 node.
Phylogeny & subclades
Defined by K281 and related SNPs, C1c forms a sister branch to C1a and C1b. It has minimal downstream radiation, indicating long-term small population sizes.
Notes & context
C1c adds crucial depth to models of the early southern route out of Africa and Paleolithic South Asian population structure.
References & external links