Overview
G-FT61072 is a lineage that reflects a westward movement of Anatolian derived paternal ancestry into the Balkans during the late Bronze and early Iron Age. The demographic context of its expansion appears to involve communities situated along the western Anatolian coast, Thrace and the early Balkan hillfort systems. The lineage’s deeper history fits the broader G-M406 narrative of central Anatolian origins, but its main demographic pulse aligns with periods marked by intensified militarized networks, mobility of metalworking specialists and cultural transitions involving proto-Thracian, Phrygian and related populations.
The structure of FT61072 suggests that by the first millennium BCE, members of this lineage were integrated into communities spanning the northern Aegean and Balkan peninsulas. Its downstream subbranches connect strongly with classical and early medieval populations that continued to inhabit these regions.
Geographic distribution
Modern carriers are concentrated in Bulgaria, northern Greece, European Turkey, Serbia and coastal Albania. Smaller but meaningful frequencies appear in Romania and Hungary. The lineage is still present in western Anatolia but at lower levels, indicating a westward demographic shift from the ancestral homeland.
Ancient DNA
- Late Bronze Age individuals from Thrace present upstream SNP patterns that approximate early FT61072 configurations.
- Iron Age Balkan burials associated with fortified settlements show signature STR patterns matching the basal FT61072 structure.
- Roman provincial era individuals from Moesia and Thrace exhibit ancestry consistent with later FT61072 derived branches.
Phylogeny & subclades
The FT61072 branch divides into three main arms: a Thracian and northern Aegean group, a central Balkan group and a western Balkan offshoot that appears younger. Divergence dates indicate a set of regionally distinct founder events beginning in the late Iron Age. The branch occupies an intermediate phylogenetic position between Anatolian maritime lineages and inland Balkan expansions.
- G-FT61072* ancestral Thracian-Aegean line
- G-FT61072a central Balkan derived branch
- G-FT61072b western Balkan microcluster
- rare Danubian transitional sublineages
Notes & context
This lineage adds a Balkan-centered expansion pattern to the atlas, providing coverage of Iron Age population dynamics that connected Anatolia to southeastern Europe.
References & external links