Overview
J1-FGC9726 is a downstream offshoot of the highland-based J1-Z1828 cluster and originated among early agro-pastoral populations inhabiting the Armenian Highlands, eastern Anatolia and the northern Zagros. These communities practiced transhumant herding, early metallurgy and inter-valley interaction that played a key role in the cultural transformations associated with the Kura-Araxes expansion. During the Bronze and Iron Ages, FGC9726-bearing groups remained geographically anchored to upland valleys and plateau systems where mountain ecology fostered demographic continuity. Its downstream topology comprises tightly localized microclades that reflect long-term isolation and limited external admixture. This lineage persists into medieval highland populations, highlighting its deep regional stability.