Overview
G2a2b1a48 is a downstream lineage within the M406 (G2a2b1a) framework whose demographic core lies in the inner western Anatolian plateau. It likely formed from M406-bearing groups that remained inland rather than concentrating in Aegean coastal polities. The coalescent age of the branch points to a major part of its diversification occurring during the Roman imperial and late antique periods, when western Anatolia was integrated into dense networks of roads, garrison towns and agricultural estates.
Unlike some M406 branches that spread widely across the eastern Mediterranean, G2a2b1a48 appears to have remained relatively localized, with multiple mid-sized founder events in valley systems and upland basins of Phrygia, Lydia and neighboring regions. Its phylogenetic profile—moderate internal diversity, several clearly separated regional subclusters, and an absence of continent-scale star-like radiation—fits a lineage embedded in stable rural populations that supplied manpower and continuity to urban centers without themselves undergoing dramatic long-distance dispersal.
Geographic distribution
Modern carriers of G2a2b1a48 are predominantly found in western and central Anatolia. Sampling shows notable presence in provinces such as Afyonkarahisar, Uşak, Kütahya, Eskişehir, Konya and partially Ankara. In many cases, the lineage is detected among families with deep local roots and documented multi-generational residence in small towns and villages of the Anatolian plateau.
Scattered occurrences appear in Istanbul and other major Turkish cities, but these are usually recent internal migrants. Outside Turkey, the branch is occasionally observed in Balkan populations with partial Anatolian ancestry, and in diaspora communities in western Europe and North America whose origins trace back to central–western Turkey. Its relative absence from the Levant and central Europe underscores its primarily Anatolian character.
Ancient DNA
- Roman-period burials from western and central Anatolia show G2a2b1a-derived haplotypes that align well with the geographic core of G2a2b1a48.
- Late antique genomes from inland Anatolian settlements exhibit paternal signatures consistent with FT1035xx-like M406 branches, suggesting continuity from the imperial period into the Byzantine era.
- Archaeogenetic models of inner Anatolia often require a persistent local component distinguishable from coastal Aegean and Levantine influences; G2a2b1a48 is a strong candidate for one of the paternal carriers of this component.
- While no high-coverage ancient male has yet been assigned explicitly to FT103512, tip dating and spatial projection of the branch fit the timeline and geography of late Roman and Byzantine plateau populations.
Phylogeny & subclades
G2a2b1a48 is defined by FT103512 and a group of closely linked FT1035xx mutations. Within the dense M406 mega-tree, it forms a mid-level node between the primary Anatolian radiation and very young, family-level clusters. Its internal branching structure shows at least two well-delimited sublineages corresponding to different plateau regions, as well as several terminal branches with low divergence times.
Phylogenetically, the branch sits alongside other inland-oriented M406 clades and contrasts with more coastal or explicitly Mediterranean radiations. Its diversity level indicates sustained local population size over many centuries, with neither severe bottlenecks nor explosive expansions.
- G2a2b1a48* (basal plateau-centered form)
- G2a2b1a48a (FT103539-linked central Anatolian cluster)
- G2a2b1a48b (western plateau microbranch)
- Private terminal lineages in provincial western and central Turkish families
Notes & context
G2a2b1a48 is a key lineage for understanding the internal structuring of M406 within Anatolia. It emphasizes that not all M406 ancestry is coastal or overtly maritime; a substantial portion remained tied to inland agro-pastoral communities that formed the demographic backbone of Roman and Byzantine Anatolia. In personal ancestry contexts, membership in G2a2b1a48 often points to deep rural Anatolian roots rather than recent coastal or Levantine connections.
References & external links