Overview
Haplogroup I2a2e (Y2417) is a central and eastern European branch of the I2-M223 radiation that appears to have taken shape in the context of early farming and late hunter–gatherer interactions south and east of the Carpathians. The clade likely arose among mixed communities in which indigenous I2-bearing foragers were integrated into Neolithic cultural systems arriving from the Balkans and central Europe. Its demographic signal suggests moderate expansion, consistent with adoption by sedentary rural populations rather than large-scale migrations.
Geographic distribution
Modern carriers of I2a2e are most frequently found in Poland, western Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, with additional representation in the Czech Republic and Austria. Lower but stable frequencies occur in the Balkans and in eastern Germany, reflecting both Neolithic era movements and later Slavic expansions. Sporadic appearances in other parts of Europe are usually due to recent historical migration.
Ancient DNA
- Middle and Late Neolithic genomes from the Carpathian basin and adjacent central Europe show I2-M223 lineages that are phylogenetically close to the ancestral position of Y2417.
- Copper Age individuals from southeastern Poland and western Ukraine carry I2a2 variants compatible with the early formation of the I2a2e branch.
- Bronze Age populations of the Carpathian and upper Dniester regions retain I2 substrata alongside incoming steppe related lineages, matching the expected profile for I2a2e.
Phylogeny & subclades
Within the I2a2 complex, I2a2e branches in parallel with I2a2a, I2a2b, I2a2c and I2a2d. Y2417 and downstream markers such as Y8593 and Y2423 define a coherent clade that sits somewhat to the east of the more western oriented M284 and L38 sub-branches. Internal diversification is moderate, with several geographically localized microclades in Poland and western Ukraine.
- I2-Y8593
- I2-Y2423
- Basal I2a2e* lineages in Poland and western Ukraine
Notes & context
I2a2e is informative for genetic reconstructions of early farmer and forager admixture in the Carpathian and eastern central European region. Its spatial pattern overlaps with archaeological cultures such as late Lengyel derived groups, Tripolye influenced communities and later Bronze Age complexes of the forest-steppe fringe.
References & external links