Overview
J2a-Y16544 is a structured highland-centered downstream branch of the J2a-M67 radiation, associated with early Holocene farming and herding populations that occupied the upland basins of eastern Anatolia, the Armenian highlands and the northern Mesopotamian borderlands. Its formation period aligns with the consolidation of high-altitude settlement systems and the development of enduring trans-mountain communication routes. During the Bronze Age, individuals carrying Y16544 participated in demographic networks tied to Upper Tigris fortified centers, metal production zones and early highland polities. Its downstream diversification is characterized by microregional founder effects, especially in isolated valleys and plateau-edge settlement clusters. The lineage persisted through Iron Age and classical periods as part of stable mountain populations whose mobility was limited compared to coastal or lowland groups.