Overview
D1a1a is a major downstream branch of D1a1 and played a key role in the early formation of Tibeto-Burman-speaking populations. Its timing corresponds to demographic expansions during the early Holocene, when groups inhabiting the eastern Himalayan foothills and southwestern China adopted new subsistence strategies. D1a1a became particularly associated with proto-Sino-Tibetan dispersals and forms one of the most distinctive paternal markers within the broader D lineage.
Geographic distribution
Highest frequencies occur in Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan, and among several Tibeto-Burman groups in Myanmar, Bhutan and Northeast India. Minor frequencies appear in Laos and northern Vietnam.
Ancient DNA
- Ancient individuals from the eastern Himalayan arc show early D1a1a-related haplotypes.
- Neolithic remains from southwestern China contain basal D1a1a lineages.
- Iron Age Tibeto-Burman individuals reveal downstream branches of D1a1a tied to early state formation in the region.
Phylogeny & subclades
D1a1a is defined by Z31573 and contains multiple microbranches aligning with major Tibeto-Burman ethnolinguistic expansions.
Notes & context
D1a1a is a cornerstone lineage in the genetic history of the Himalaya and Tibeto-Burman populations.
References & external links