Overview
I2c1 represents the Caucasus-centered branch of the I2c radiation. Its ancestry traces to forager communities occupying the foothill arcs of Armenia, Georgia and eastern Anatolia during the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene. These groups interacted with both CHG-related populations and early Near Eastern foragers, making I2c1 a window into pre-Neolithic demography in one of the most genetically complex regions of West Eurasia.
Although never numerous, I2c1 lineages persisted in the Caucasus region through the early and middle Holocene, eventually being absorbed into the genetic landscape of Chalcolithic and Bronze Age highland societies. Their preservation in low frequencies today suggests a long record of regional stability despite repeated cultural transitions.
Geographic distribution
Modern I2c1 is most frequently found in Armenia, eastern Turkey and Georgia. Low-level occurrences are found in the Levant and Iran. Occasional European instances reflect drift or rare founder events connected to ancient trans-Anatolian movement.
Ancient DNA
- Several Mesolithic individuals from the Caucasus show upstream I2 markers compatible with I2c1 positioning, though high-resolution assignments remain limited.
- Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Caucasus genomes show minor paternal lines related to I2c1, consistent with survival of small forager‐derived groups.
- Later historical populations in the Armenian Highland also show traces of I2c1-related diversity.
Phylogeny & subclades
I2c1 includes several microbranches with deep divergence points, each representing localized forager groups in the Caucasus highlands. Within atlas modeling, these are grouped into a unified structure under I2c1.
- I2c1a – Armenian High Plateau microlineages
- I2c1b – eastern Anatolia and Georgian foothill clusters
Notes & context
I2c1 demonstrates that the Caucasus was not solely a CHG domain but also hosted minor forager lineages related to the wider I2 radiation.
References & external links