haplogroups.info
Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

A · A1 · A1b · A1b1 · BT · CT · CF · F · G · G2

Haplogroup G2

G-P287

Macro-haplogroup
G
Parent clade
G
Formed (estimate)
c. 26,000–30,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 18,000–22,000 years ago

Overview

G2 (P287) is the major bifurcating branch of haplogroup G and the direct ancestor of the globally impactful G2a and more regionally restricted G2b. Formed during the Upper Paleolithic in western Asia, G2 represents a transition lineage between small isolated forager populations of the late Pleistocene and the complex societies emerging in the Early Holocene. The deep structure of G2 anchors the twin trajectories of haplogroup G: the massive Neolithic-associated expansions of G2a, and the localized, more narrowly distributed West/South Asian history of G2b. Ancient demographic reconstructions indicate that G2’s earliest populations likely occupied the Anatolia–Zagros–Caucasus corridor—regions that served as refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum and later incubators for early Neolithic developments.

Geographic distribution

Modern G2 occurs in low to moderate levels across the Caucasus, Anatolia, Iran and the Levant. The highest combined diversity of G2 lineages lies in the South Caucasus, eastern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia. Limited modern presence appears in Europe, almost entirely due to G2a’s Neolithic expansions.

Ancient DNA

  • Pre-Pottery Neolithic sites in Anatolia and the northern Fertile Crescent yielded upstream G2 signals ancestral to both G2a and G2b.
  • Caucasus highland prehistoric DNA shows early G2 substructure consistent with Paleolithic refugial occupation.
  • G2 has not been found as a major lineage in Europe before the arrival of Neolithic farmers.

Phylogeny & subclades

G2 divides directly into G2a and G2b. G2a becomes the dominant Neolithic lineage with large diversification, while G2b remains a regionally restricted lineage in West and South Asia. Basal G2* branches are extremely rare and preserved only in isolated WGS samples.

  • G2a (major Neolithic expansion lineage)
  • G2b (West/South Asian localized lineage)
  • G2* rare basal microclades

Notes & context

G2 is a cornerstone clade for understanding the male-mediated spread of agriculture from Anatolia into Europe. Its early branching structure reflects multiple refugial populations that contributed to the founding genetic layers of complex Holocene societies.