Overview
G2a2b1a57 is a downstream branch within the G-M406 (G2a2b1a) radiation that appears to have its demographic nucleus in the central Anatolian–Cappadocian region. It represents a late Holocene lineage whose major diversification phase overlaps with the late Roman, Byzantine and early Seljuk periods, when central Anatolia functioned as an internal frontier, hosting fortified towns, military colonies and deeply rooted rural communities.
Unlike more coastal M406 derivatives, G2a2b1a57 is strongly inland-focused. Its structure suggests it arose from previously established M406 carriers in western or central Anatolia and then underwent localized expansions in Cappadocia and surrounding plateau regions. These expansions were modest in size but long-lived, allowing the lineage to persist through major linguistic and cultural changes in the region (Greek- to Turkish-speaking transitions, Christian to Muslim demographic shifts, etc.).
Geographic distribution
Today, G2a2b1a57 is most frequently observed among central Anatolian populations, with notable presence in provinces such as Kayseri, Nevşehir, Niğde, Yozgat and Sivas. It appears both among urban families with documented multi-generational roots in the region and among rural populations in surrounding highland villages.
Lower-frequency occurrences in Ankara, Konya and Aksaray likely reflect the historical connectivity of the central plateau. Minor detections among diaspora communities in Europe and North America with central Anatolian ancestry mirror recent migrations rather than ancient dispersals.
Ancient DNA
- Late Roman and Byzantine individuals from central Anatolia show M406-related haplotypes consistent with the FT1332xx neighborhood.
- Cappadocian rock-cut settlement contexts and associated cemeteries provide archaeological settings where such a lineage could have persisted in situ.
- Early Seljuk-period skeletal remains in the region sometimes exhibit eastern Mediterranean paternal components compatible with G2a2b1a57’s inferred ancestry.
- Genome-wide models of central Anatolia through the late first millennium CE require a mix of earlier Anatolian and incoming steppe-derived elements; G2a2b1a57 fits clearly into the pre-steppe Anatolian component.
Phylogeny & subclades
G2a2b1a57 is defined by FT133210 and associated FT1332xx SNPs. Within the dense M406 tree, it forms a compact cluster with several subbranches, each corresponding to a slightly different segment of the central Anatolian plateau. Internal branch lengths are short, indicating that diversification is relatively recent (historical rather than prehistoric) but geographically structured.
The lineage sits alongside other inland Anatolian M406 branches, serving as a Cappadocian-focused counterpart to western Anatolian, Levantine and Balkan subclades.
- G2a2b1a57* (basal central Anatolian form)
- G2a2b1a57a (FT133238-linked Cappadocian cluster)
- G2a2b1a57b (north-central Anatolia microbranch)
Notes & context
G2a2b1a57 is important for reconstructing the paternal history of central Anatolia beyond the early Neolithic. It reveals how M406 ancestry embedded in the plateau was carried forward into Byzantine and Seljuk times. For personal ancestry, this branch typically points to deep central Anatolian roots with strong continuity independent of steppe and later Ottoman-era inputs.
References & external links