Overview
J2a-FGC17220 is a downstream cluster of J2a-Z2227 strongly associated with coastal populations of Cyprus, southern Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean. Its formation aligns with the rise of early maritime communities that emerged during the middle Holocene, when coastal farming settlements and seaborne exchange networks became increasingly influential in shaping regional demographics. Archaeological evidence from Cyprus and southern Anatolia indicates intense interaction during the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages, patterns that parallel the diversification of this lineage. FGC17220 bearing populations participated in maritime trade systems that connected the Levant, the Aegean, Cyprus and Anatolian coastal centers. The downstream phylogeny of the clade suggests expansions tied to Bronze Age metallurgical hubs, island based interaction zones and classical maritime polities.
Geographic distribution
FGC17220 is most frequent today in Cyprus, coastal Turkey, the southern Aegean islands and parts of the Levant. Moderate frequencies appear in Greece, Crete and southern Italy. Lower levels across the central Mediterranean and Egypt reflect maritime expansions spanning the Bronze and classical periods.
Ancient DNA
- Cypriot Bronze Age individuals display J2a lineages aligned with early FGC17220 diversification.
- Southern Anatolian Bronze Age burials include J2a signatures consistent with upstream FGC17220.
- Aegean Bronze Age remains show paternal patterns overlapping with FGC17220 related branches.
- Classical era port settlements of the Levant and Aegean include downstream FGC17220 variants.
- Roman era coastal populations maintain J2a structures connected to this maritime lineage.
Phylogeny & subclades
FGC17220 includes multiple coastal subbranches reflecting island based and littoral expansion dynamics. Its structure resembles other Mediterranean maritime J2a radiations with localized founder effects.
- FGC17220* basal coastal form
- Cypriot microbranches
- Southern Aegean downstream lines
- Levantine derived clusters
Notes & context
J2a-FGC17220 is a key genetic marker for reconstructing the role of maritime exchange networks in the demographic history of the eastern Mediterranean.
References & external links