Overview
Haplogroup D is one of the oldest surviving non-African paternal lineages and represents a major early branch of the CT macro-haplogroup alongside haplogroup C. The earliest D-lineages are associated with Paleolithic hunter-gatherers of East, Southeast and Central Asia, reflecting one of the first major population corridors created after the out-of-Africa expansion. Unlike many later Eurasian haplogroups, D remained geographically confined and diversified within rugged highland and forested regions rather than open steppe habitats. Its surviving branches provide a unique genetic window into the earliest anatomically modern human groups inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau, the Japanese archipelago and parts of the Southeast Asian littoral.
Geographic distribution
Today D occurs primarily in Japan (especially among Ainu and groups with higher Jōmon ancestry), Tibet and the Himalayan region, the Andaman Islands, and small fragmented areas of Central and Southeast Asia. These distributions largely reflect deep Paleolithic populations rather than later historical expansions.
Ancient DNA
- Upper Paleolithic individuals in the Tibetan Plateau region carry early D-related lineages tied to high-altitude adaptations.
- Jōmon hunter-gatherers in Japan show a strong presence of D derivatives, especially D1a2.
- Negrito groups in the Andaman Islands retain highly divergent branches of D representing extremely ancient population layers.
Phylogeny & subclades
D divides primarily into D1 (F6251) and D2 (largely extinct or absorbed). D1 contains the major living branches: D1a (East Asia), D1b (Tibet–Himalayas) and D1c (Andamanese).
Notes & context
D is crucial for understanding the earliest diversification of modern humans in East and Southeast Asia.
References & external links