Overview
G1 (M285) represents the major sister branch to G2 within haplogroup G and forms an almost entirely West Asian–Iranian lineage with limited penetration into the Caucasus, Central Asia and South Asia. Emerging in the late Upper Paleolithic, G1’s ancestral zone lies east of the Fertile Crescent—likely spanning western Iran, the Zagros piedmont, and southern Caspian regions. Unlike G2, which radiated massively during the Neolithic, G1 followed a different demographic trajectory, maintaining localized continuity rather than large-scale expansions.
G1 carries a distinctive internal structure dominated by several Iranian–Caspian–Central Asian clusters. A notable historical pattern is the appearance of specific G1 subclades in certain Central Asian, Turkic, and Iranian-speaking groups, suggesting multiple waves of paternal diffusion linked to Bronze Age, Iron Age and early historic migrations. G1’s relatively deep branching and regionally constrained modern presence make it a critical lineage for reconstructing Iranian Plateau and Central Asian genetic histories.
Geographic distribution
G1 is most concentrated today in Iran, especially among Persians, Lurs, Mazandarani, Gilaks, and Kurdish populations. Strong frequency pockets also occur in the southern Caucasus (including Azerbaijan and Armenia) and throughout Central Asia—particularly among Kazakhs and certain Uzbek and Turkmen groups.
Smaller traces appear in Pakistan (especially among Pashtun and Baloch populations), in the Gulf region, and sporadically across Anatolia. G1 is extremely rare in Europe, with only isolated modern individuals representing historic gene flow rather than ancient Neolithic presence.
Ancient DNA
- Early Bronze Age and Iron Age individuals from western and northern Iran show upstream G1-related SNP patterns, supporting long-term continuity across the Iranian Plateau.
- Some Scythian–Saka and steppe-adjacent individuals in Central Asia exhibit subclades consistent with later G1 expansions.
- No confirmed G1 appears in Neolithic European ancient DNA, consistent with its West Asian–Central Asian demographic history.
Phylogeny & subclades
G1 divides primarily into G1a and G1b, though G1a contains the majority of sampled downstream diversity. The structure shows a deep Paleolithic root, followed by several expansions during the Bronze and Iron Ages across Iran and Central Asia. Many microclades correspond to ethno-linguistic groups formed during historic Iranian and Turkic cultural expansions.
- G1a (dominant Iranian–Central Asian radiation)
- G1b (rare basal lineages)
- multiple WGS-defined localized clusters
Notes & context
G1 provides essential context for the population history of Iran and Central Asia, functioning as the West Asian counterpart to the Neolithic-centric G2 expansions. Its structure reveals demographic processes tied to pastoralist expansions, highland-settled continuity and ethno-linguistic reshaping throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages.
References & external links