Overview
I3e (BY82000) represents a deeply rooted Paleolithic lineage preserved in the rugged highland landscapes connecting eastern Anatolia, the Armenian Plateau, and the northern Zagros. This clade likely formed among hunter–gatherer populations that sought refuge in mountain ecotones during the Last Glacial Maximum. Its survival reflects the long-term continuity of isolated paternal lineages in one of West Eurasia’s oldest refugial zones. Compared to I3a–I3d, I3e is rarer but phylogenetically vital, capturing an additional layer of deep-time paternal structure.
Geographic distribution
Modern carriers are concentrated in northeast Turkey, Armenia, Iranian Kurdistan and Azerbaijan. Minor frequencies appear in northern Iraq and Georgia. Scattered, rare finds in southeastern Europe likely result from ancient diffusion events.
Ancient DNA
- Upper Paleolithic genomes from the Armenian Highlands show ancestry patterns consistent with I3-line basal branches.
- Pre-Pottery Neolithic and early Chalcolithic individuals from eastern Anatolia contain upstream I signals related to the I3 radiation.
- Ancient Zagros samples provide continuity evidence for deep West Eurasian paternal diversity tied to the I3 complex.
Phylogeny & subclades
I3e constitutes a fourth-major limb of the I3 macro-lineage, branching separately from I3a (Anatolia–Caucasus), I3b (Zagros plateau), I3c (Caspian–Caucasus) and I3d (Eastern Anatolia refugium). BY82000 defines a stable, slow-diversifying lineage with minimal downstream structure.
- I3-Y18690
- I3-FGC5640
- Basal I3e* lineages
Notes & context
I3e is crucial for reconstructing Paleolithic paternal demography in the highland Near East. Its deep divergence time highlights the survival of isolated lineages through glacial cycles and early Holocene transformations.
References & external links