Overview
J1-FGC9012 is a highland-derived branch of J1-Z1828 and traces its origins to early agro-pastoral communities inhabiting the mountainous regions of the Armenian Highlands, eastern Anatolia and the northern Zagros. The earliest demographic setting of the lineage is associated with high-altitude herding systems, obsidian-based exchange networks and early metalworking traditions. These communities contributed directly to the cultural landscape that produced the Kura-Araxes expansion. During the Bronze and Iron Ages, FGC9012-bearing groups maintained settlement continuity across rugged upland environments, which supported stable, long-term demographic patterns. The downstream phylogenetic structure is characterized by tight clustering and localized microbranches confined to specific valleys and high plateaus. These patterns reflect the ecological isolation and social cohesion typical of highland pastoral communities.