Overview
J1-ZS3522 is a downstream lineage of the Arabian-centered J1-L147.1 cluster and is associated with pastoral and semi-nomadic populations inhabiting northern Arabia, the southern Levant, the Jordanian steppe and the Syrian desert margin. Its early formation corresponds to the development of mid Holocene desert mobility systems, characterized by seasonal grazing circuits and oasis-centered subsistence strategies. Bronze Age and Iron Age demographic transformations influenced the internal structure of ZS3522, with downstream microbranches appearing across desert margin tribal territories. Although some descended clades became integrated into early Arab tribal confederations, deeper layers of the lineage represent pre-Arab pastoralist ecologies with long-term settlement continuity. The lineage remained active through classical and later periods, maintaining presence among desert-adapted populations.