Overview
G-Y240112 is a lineage that crystallized in the mountainous and plateau regions linking eastern Anatolia with the western Caucasus. Its demographic footprint suggests formation during the early to middle Bronze Age, a time when regional societies were undergoing technological, agricultural and political reorganization. High mountain valleys, river terraces and plateau fortifications appear to have served as persistent settlement zones for the ancestors of this lineage. The archaeological landscape associated with Y240112 is one of mixed agro-pastoral economies, long-range seasonal herding circuits and the beginnings of fortified community structures.
The lineage displays characteristics typical of highland stability: modest internal branching, deep-rooted continuity and a lack of large-scale expansion. These traits point to a paternal population that remained anchored in resilient, geographically insulated communities that experienced fewer external demographic shocks relative to lowland populations.
Geographic distribution
Today carriers are most frequently found in Armenia, northeast Turkey and parts of Georgia. Occasional individuals appear in northwest Iran and northern Iraq. The lineage is almost absent from Europe and the Arabian Peninsula, which suggests minimal outward migration and a long-term stay within highland contexts. Modern geographic distribution aligns well with prehistoric and early historic cultural zones associated with Hurrian, proto-Armenian and early Kartvelian populations.
Ancient DNA
- Bronze Age samples from the Ararat plain and the Sevan basin show upstream ancestral markers consistent with early formation of Y240112.
- Late Bronze to early Iron Age individuals from the upper Kura river system exhibit SNP configurations aligning with proto Y240112 structures.
- No classical or medieval samples have yet been assigned to this clade, supporting the idea of stable, long-term highland continuity.
Phylogeny & subclades
Within G2a2b1a, Y240112 forms a compact branch with distinct splits corresponding to Armenian and Georgian highland microregions. The branch structure is characterized by shallow divergence times, pointing to localized founder effects rather than significant dispersal events. It stands parallel to other highland oriented branches such as Y182347 and Y233198.
- G-Y240112* basal highland branch
- G-Y240112a Armenian plateau clade
- G-Y240112b Georgian highland microbranch
- G-Y240112c northwest Iran foothill cluster
Notes & context
Y240112 is important to the atlas because it preserves a signature of Bronze Age highland paternal ancestry that remained internally consistent for millennia. Its presence helps refine the representation of the Caucasus-Anatolian plateau connection.
References & external links