Overview
J2a-Y16799 is a downstream lineage under J2a-M67 that appears to have formed among upland agricultural and pastoral populations of the eastern Anatolian highlands and the Armenian plateau. Its earliest diversification aligns with the mid Holocene transition in the region, where early farming settlements merged with emerging pastoral systems. Archaeological evidence from upland river basins, fortified Chalcolithic sites and high-altitude terraces fits the demographic behaviors inferred from Y16799 distributions. By the Bronze Age, Y16799-bearing communities were incorporated into the broader highland demographic zones connected with the Kura Araxes sphere and later regional polities. The lineage demonstrates strong continuity across high-altitude zones known for environmental stability and longstanding cultural persistence. Its downstream structure suggests limited but enduring demographic expansions along upland river valleys and adjacent plateaus.