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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup I2a2b1

I2-S2606 (I2-L38 branch)

Macro-haplogroup
I
Parent clade
I2a2b
Formed (estimate)
c. 7,000–9,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 4,000–5,000 years ago

Overview

I2a2b1 (S2606) represents a key Central European lineage descending from the I2-L38 (I2a2b) cluster. This clade has strong archaeological connections to Neolithic and Chalcolithic communities in the Rhine–Danube interaction zone and appears frequently in early farmer-associated genetic datasets. Later continuity through the Bronze Age and Iron Age suggests incorporation into emerging continental cultural complexes.

Geographic distribution

Modern frequencies peak in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, eastern France and Austria. Minor frequencies occur in the British Isles and Scandinavia due to later mobility.

Ancient DNA

  • Late Neolithic Rhine–Danube samples include lineages ancestral to S2606.
  • Bell Beaker-associated individuals in Central Europe have yielded close upstream variants.
  • Early Bronze Age south German burials show microclades within the I2a2b structure.

Phylogeny & subclades

I2a2b1 descends from the I2-L38 trunk. SNP S2606 marks a major subdivision separating it from parallel continental branches. The downstream topology reveals slow but steady diversification tied to local prehistoric populations.

  • I2-Y15575
  • I2-S2606* basal clades

Notes & context

I2a2b1 is a meaningful marker for studying the paternal genetic impact of early European farming populations and their interaction with indigenous Mesolithic substrata.