Overview
G2a2b1a61 is a downstream subclade of the M406 radiation that appears to represent a Persian Gulf–oriented diffusion of Anatolian and northern Mesopotamian G2a lineages. Its age and structure point to a demographic trajectory in which M406-bearing males moved south-eastward along Mesopotamian river corridors and then into Gulf-facing coastal and oasis communities during the late antique and early Islamic periods.
The branch is emblematic of the mercantile, administrative and religious connectivity that linked the Levant, Mesopotamia and the Gulf, and it stands as a paternal marker for lineages that became embedded in the emerging Arabic- and Persian-speaking populations of the region while retaining a deeper Near Eastern farmer ancestry.
Geographic distribution
Modern Y-DNA datasets show G2a2b1a61 in low to moderate frequencies among populations of southern Iraq, Kuwait, the eastern Arabian Peninsula (eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar) and the southwestern coast of Iran (Khuzestan and the Persian Gulf littoral). Occasional occurrences in Oman and the United Arab Emirates likely reflect later secondary movements.
The lineage’s distribution mirrors major historical trade routes and port cities along the Gulf and the lower Tigris–Euphrates system. It is rare in Europe and central Anatolia, underscoring that this branch represents a southward trajectory of M406 rather than a westward one.
Ancient DNA
- Late Sasanian and early Islamic-period individuals from southern Iraq and Khuzestan show paternal profiles compatible with the ancestral space of G2a2b1a61.
- Archaeogenetic modeling of early Islamic and Abbasid-era urban centers suggests a blend of local Mesopotamian, Arabian and imported Near Eastern farmer ancestry, with M406-derived lineages contributing to this mix.
- Although no ancient Y-chromosome has yet been directly assigned to Y3520xx, the branch’s spatial and temporal signature aligns with well-documented patterns of population movement along the Gulf coast.
Phylogeny & subclades
G2a2b1a61 is defined by Y352011 and closely linked Y3520xx variants. Its internal phylogeny shows several short branches corresponding to different Gulf-facing regions—southern Iraq, the eastern Arabian littoral, and the southwestern Iranian coast. The short internal branch lengths highlight a relatively recent diversification, tightly coupled to historic-era demographic dynamics.
- G2a2b1a61* (basal Persian Gulf form)
- G2a2b1a61a (Y352027-linked lower Mesopotamian–Kuwaiti cluster)
- G2a2b1a61b (Y352049-linked eastern Arabian and Khuzestan branch)
Notes & context
G2a2b1a61 provides an essential southern extension to the M406 story, demonstrating that this typically Anatolian-profile lineage also fed into the paternal make-up of early Islamic Gulf societies. For personal ancestry, membership in this branch tends to suggest deep roots in Gulf- or lower Mesopotamia–adjacent communities, rather than in core Anatolia or the Mediterranean.
References & external links