Overview
G-CTS2488 is a structurally important but relatively small P303 sub-branch associated with early expansions into the Balkans, central Europe and the north-central Mediterranean. Its defining markers place it within the same early radiation as P303’s major European branches, but CTS2488’s downstream substructure is distributed more sporadically, suggesting multiple minor founder events rather than one dominant expansion.
This lineage is particularly informative due to its continuous presence across the Balkans and Carpathian Basin—regions that acted as essential transit zones for the spread of agriculture from Anatolia into continental Europe.
Geographic distribution
CTS2488 is found across southeastern Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Romania), central Europe (Hungary, Austria, Czechia, southern Germany) and at low frequencies in Italy and France. A limited number of Near Eastern individuals—mainly from eastern Turkey or northern Mesopotamia—represent possible ancestral diversity.
The lineage’s patchy but persistent presence along early Neolithic corridors makes it an important marker for population movements from the Balkans to central Europe.
Ancient DNA
- Some Middle Neolithic Balkan individuals show P303 derivatives consistent with early CTS2488-related ancestry.
- Carpathian and central European late Neolithic individuals occasionally exhibit SNPs aligning with CTS2488 sub-branches.
- Alpine Copper Age samples upstream of P303 may include proto-CTS2488 lineages not yet fully resolved.
Phylogeny & subclades
CTS2488 forms a compact branch under P303, with limited but meaningful downstream variation. Its structure contains Balkan-centered microclades and central European extensions. Compared to L497 and U1, CTS2488 is smaller but phylogenetically stable, indicating early but moderate expansions.
- CTS2488* basal
- Balkan microclades
- Carpathian/c. European microclades
Notes & context
Though not numerically dominant, CTS2488 provides key evidence for early farmer movements along the Balkan–Carpathian axis. Its scattered modern presence mirrors archaeological findings that emphasize southeastern Europe as the first continental bridge for Anatolian Neolithic ancestry.
References & external links