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Haplogroup I1-Z8191

I1-Z8191 North German–Danish

Macro-haplogroup
I
Parent clade
I1
Formed (estimate)
c. 3,400–4,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 1,800–2,300 years ago

Overview

I1-Z8191 is a North German–Danish oriented microbranch of the I1-Z58 complex. It likely emerged during the Early Iron Age along the southern Baltic coast and Jutland peninsula. This clade reflects small but regionally stable populations associated with proto-Germanic tribes in the North Sea–Baltic interaction zone. Although not a large radiation, its phylogenetic position makes it a valuable marker for fine-scale Germanic and Scandinavian ancestry reconstruction.

Geographic distribution

Modern carriers cluster in Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Denmark and southern Sweden. Smaller frequencies exist in the Netherlands and northern Poland. Occasional presence in Britain likely stems from Anglo-Saxon and Danish settlement periods.

Ancient DNA

  • Early Iron Age burials from the Jutland coastal region present I1 haplotypes that phylogenetically align with the upstream branches of the Z8191 cluster.
  • Roman frontier groups in northern Germany show DF29–Z58 variation matching the expected root diversity near Z8191.
  • Some Viking Age individuals from southern Scandinavia cluster closely with downstream or parallel Z8191 derivatives.

Phylogeny & subclades

I1-Z8191 sits within the continental Z58 radiation. Defining SNPs include Z8191, BY17329 and Y2193. Its internal branching is shallow, consistent with geographically restricted growth rather than broad migration-driven expansion.

  • I1-BY17329
  • I1-Y2193
  • Basal Z8191* lineages

Notes & context

I1-Z8191 provides important resolution for North German and Danish ancestry. It helps distinguish inland continental Germanic branches from coastal Baltic-oriented derivatives.