Overview
G2a2b2 represents the upstream trunk of the massive P303-derived radiation that reshaped the paternal landscape of Neolithic and post-Neolithic Europe. While G2a2b2a (P303) and its numerous downstream branches form the bulk of the European Neolithic signal, the G2a2b2 node stands as the structural origin of this entire clade. Its earliest diversification likely took place in the northern Levant, Anatolia, and western Iranian Plateau, preceding the farming expansions into southeastern Europe.
Geographic distribution
Modern frequencies of basal G2a2b2 are extremely low due to rapid radiation downstream. However, low-level occurrences appear in Anatolia, the southern Caucasus, Cyprus, and the northern Levant—areas tied to early farmers and pre-Pottery Neolithic societies.
Ancient DNA
- Pre-Pottery Neolithic B individuals from the northern Levant and Anatolia show profiles consistent with upstream G2a2b2.
- Early Neolithic Balkan samples exhibit markers aligning with the immediate P303 radiation, implicating G2a2b2 as the ancestor node of these expansions.
- Fragments of genomes from Çatalhöyük-associated contexts show early G2a2b2-like structures.
Phylogeny & subclades
G2a2b2 sits immediately above the P303 megaclade and is defined by shared L30/S126 mutations. Downstream include L497, U1, L13, Z1903, L91, CTS2488 and dozens of additional late-Neolithic and Bronze Age expansions across Europe and Anatolia.
- G2a2b2* (basal)
- G2a2b2a (P303)
- G2a2b2b (minor early branch)
Notes & context
This node is crucial for the structural integrity of the G atlas: it is the branching point from which nearly all European G2a lineages descend. Without G2a2b2 documented, the P303 macro-expansion lacks its evolutionary anchor.
References & external links