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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup I2a2f

I2-Y21346

Macro-haplogroup
I
Parent clade
I2a2
Formed (estimate)
c. 7,000–8,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 3,500–4,500 years ago

Overview

I2a2f (Y21346) is a small but geographically informative branch of the I2-M223 complex. It likely crystallized among early Neolithic and Chalcolithic populations in central Europe, where M223-bearing groups persisted and integrated into farming societies. This lineage reflects a stable, regionally anchored demographic pattern without the large expansions observed in other I2a2 clades.

Geographic distribution

Modern carriers concentrate in Germany, Czechia, Austria and Switzerland, with modest representation in Poland and Hungary. Smaller pockets appear in northern Italy and eastern France, indicating early migrations through Alpine and Danubian corridors.

Ancient DNA

  • LBK-associated individuals in central Europe show upstream M223 ancestry related to Y21346.
  • Late Neolithic and Copper Age burials from southern Germany and Bohemia cluster near ancestral I2a2f nodes.
  • Early Bronze Age Danubian samples retain I2a2 substrata that align with the broader Y21346 branch.

Phylogeny & subclades

I2a2f forms a downstream minor branch parallel to I2a2a–e. Y21346, Y21348 and BY19810 define the clade. Internal diversification is modest and regionally coherent, suggesting stable localized populations.

  • I2-Y21348
  • I2-BY19810
  • Basal I2a2f*

Notes & context

I2a2f is valuable for reconstructing the genetic landscape of central European Neolithic and early Bronze Age populations, highlighting persistence of non-expanding I2 lineages amid major cultural transitions.