Overview
J2a-FGC18244 belongs to the maritime-oriented J2a-Z2227 cluster and is most strongly tied to the demographic systems of Cyprus, southwestern Anatolia and the southern Aegean coastlines. Its formation aligns with the development of mid-Holocene coastal societies engaged in early seafaring, copper extraction and inter-island exchange across the eastern Mediterranean.
Throughout the Bronze Age, FGC18244 lineages participated in the maritime circuits linking Cyprus, coastal Anatolia, the Dodecanese and the Levant. Archaeological correlates include port settlements, shipborne copper distribution networks and proto-urban coastal enclaves. Downstream differentiation shows island-anchored founder effects, inland coastal expansions and long-term persistence into classical Mediterranean populations.
Geographic distribution
Cyprus, southwestern Turkey, Dodecanese, Crete, southern Levant; minor frequencies in Greece and southern Italy.
Ancient DNA
- Bronze Age Cypriot individuals show upstream J2a lineages compatible with FGC18244.
- Southern Anatolian Bronze Age burials preserve paternal signals matching this branch.
- Aegean maritime Bronze Age samples exhibit J2a-Z2227 variation aligned with the cluster.
- Classical coastal settlements contain downstream derivatives.
- Roman era island communities show continuity with FGC18244 subbranches.
Phylogeny & subclades
A coastal and insular Z2227-derived lineage with strong representation in Cypriot and southwestern Anatolian populations.
- FGC18244*
- Cypriot derivatives
- Anatolian coastal microbranches
Notes & context
FGC18244 is a key marker for reconstructing Bronze Age maritime exchange systems between Cyprus, Anatolia and the southern Aegean.
References & external links