Overview
G-L497 is one of the most important European G2a lineages in terms of both frequency and archaeogenetic visibility. It represents a major radiation of P303-derived farmers who expanded northward from the Balkans and eastern Alps into central Europe during the Neolithic and post-Neolithic periods. Many modern central European paternal lines with deep roots trace back to L497, making it a hallmark of Alpine and Danubian agricultural expansions.
Among modern populations, G-L497 shows strong concentrations in the Alps, Germany, Switzerland, northern Italy, Austria and parts of France. Its downstream microclades often correspond to post-Neolithic founder events, including regional Bronze Age and Iron Age expansions and medieval population structure.
Geographic distribution
L497 reaches its highest frequencies in the Alpine region (Tyrol, Switzerland, northern Italy), southern Germany and eastern France. It is also present at moderate frequencies across central Europe and occasionally in the Balkans, reflecting early Neolithic dispersal routes. In the Near East, L497 appears at low levels, as European derivatives dominate the lineage.
In the Mediterranean, L497 is found in Sardinia, Corsica and scattered pockets of Iberia, often tied to early Neolithic maritime expansions and later regional founder events.
Ancient DNA
- Alpine Neolithic individuals, including those culturally related to the Iceman horizon, carry L497 or its close relatives.
- Neolithic central European sites within the LBK and post-LBK zones show P303 lineages continuous with later L497-bearing populations.
- Middle to Late Neolithic burials in the Alps and upper Danube frequently show L497-derived clades.
- Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age individuals in central Europe sometimes retain L497, indicating partial male-line continuity despite steppe-influenced demographic shifts.
Phylogeny & subclades
G-L497 includes several coherent downstream sub-branches, many of which show strong geographic correlation. The lineage forms a complex star-like topology consistent with a rapid expansion phase during the mid-Holocene European farmer consolidation.
Internal clusters include regional expansions characterized by SNPs such as Z1816 and CTS5990, often corresponding to Alpine and central European localized lineages.
- G-L497* basal lineages
- G-Z1816
- G-CTS5990
- Multiple WGS-defined microclades across the Alpine region
Notes & context
L497 is essential for understanding the continuity and transformation of Neolithic paternal lines in central Europe and the Alps. Its varied substructure captures thousands of years of demographic layering, from early farming societies to Bronze Age transitions and historic population movements.
References & external links