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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup I2c4

I2-Y60509

Macro-haplogroup
I
Parent clade
I2c
Formed (estimate)
c. 20,000–25,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 10,000–13,000 years ago

Overview

I2c4 (Y60509) is a deep, rare Near Eastern branch of the I2c lineage preserved in populations occupying the Caucasus–Zagros–Armenian Highlands region. Its early formation suggests it survived Last Glacial Maximum climatic contractions within multiple mountain refugia, representing one of the oldest surviving paternal layers in the I2c radiation.

Geographic distribution

Modern carriers are documented in Armenia, Iranian Kurdistan, eastern Turkey and northern Iraq. Rare cases appear in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Its limited and mountainous distribution matches expectations for ancient refugial persistence.

Ancient DNA

  • Upper Paleolithic genomes from the Armenian Highlands carry upstream I2c-like paternal signals consistent with early I2c diversification.
  • Pre-Pottery Neolithic individuals from eastern Anatolia exhibit haplotypes phylogenetically close to the ancestral I2c radiation.
  • Chalcolithic and Bronze Age genomes from the Zagros foothills retain deep I2 signatures matching the geographic footprint of I2c4.

Phylogeny & subclades

I2c4 forms the fourth major branch of I2c, parallel to I2c1–3. Y60509, Y60512 and BY18491 define the clade. Internal diversification is extremely shallow, consistent with long-term survival in small isolated populations.

  • I2-Y60512
  • I2-BY18491
  • Basal I2c4*

Notes & context

I2c4 is crucial for understanding ancient paternal structure in the highland Near East and provides evidence for long-term continuity through Neolithic transitions.