Overview
J2a-Y19912 is a downstream lineage belonging to the J2a-M67 highland cluster and is associated with populations occupying the Armenian plateau, the eastern Anatolian volcanic highlands and the northern Zagros uplands. Its early diversification aligns with the development of highland agricultural and pastoral systems during the Holocene, when upland farmers established permanent settlements supported by terrace cultivation, orchard agriculture and obsidian-based trade routes. These communities fostered early metallurgy and valley-to-valley interaction across rugged terrain. Bronze Age groups carrying Y19912 appear within the sociopolitical landscape of highland citadels, fortified settlements and early state entities bridging the Caucasus, Anatolia and Mesopotamia. The lineage shows phylogenetic signatures of regional founder events in high-elevation valleys, enclosed plateaus and mountain corridors. Iron Age and classical populations in Armenia, eastern Turkey and northwest Iran retain paternal signals compatible with the downstream diversification of Y19912, consistent with long-term continuity of highland agro-pastoral traditions.