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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup J2a-Z2227

Macro-haplogroup
J
Parent clade
J2a-M410
Formed (estimate)
c. 17,000–19,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 7,000–9,500 years ago

Overview

J2a-Z2227 represents a major structural node within J2a-M410, bridging Levantine Neolithic populations, Anatolian highland farmers and Aegean proto-urban societies. Emerging during the Late Glacial, Z2227 is tied to forager–herder groups in the northern Levant and southern Anatolia who adopted early cultivation and domesticates during the PPNB horizon. Its subsequent spread mirrors the demographic radiation of early farmers into Anatolia and the Mediterranean basin. During the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages, Z2227-bearing groups played a role in expanding trade systems across the Anatolia–Aegean interface, participating in early Aegean maritime networks and contributing to the genetic substrata of Minoan, Mycenaean and western Anatolian populations.

Geographic distribution

Present-day concentrations of Z2227 occur in Turkey (Aegean, Central Anatolia, southeastern regions), the northern Levant (Lebanon, Syria), Greece, Crete, Cyprus and coastal Italy. Additional presence in Armenia, Iran, and parts of the Caucasus reflects both prehistoric and classical-era interactions. The lineage’s Mediterranean distribution aligns with early maritime networks, while its Levant–Anatolia axis corresponds to the core zones of Neolithic and Bronze Age demographic expansions.

Ancient DNA

  • Aegean Bronze Age individuals—including Minoan and Mycenaean samples—show Z2227-related signatures.
  • Neolithic central Anatolian individuals (Çatalhöyük and surrounding regions) show early J2a structure consistent with the Z2227 radiation.
  • Chalcolithic Levantine individuals carry J2a lineages matching early Z2227 diversification.
  • Bronze Age western Anatolia samples reveal Z2227 in contexts tied to long-range maritime exchange.
  • Iron Age and classical samples from Greece, Cyprus and coastal Anatolia exhibit downstream Z2227 lineages.

Phylogeny & subclades

Z2227 splits into several branches associated with the Aegean, Anatolia and the Levant. Its structure reflects Neolithic diffusion, Aegean Bronze Age urbanization and classical Mediterranean expansions. Downstream clusters show tight regionalization, suggesting multiple independent founder effects across coastal and highland societies.

  • Z2227* (basal)
  • Mediterranean Z2228 branch
  • Anatolia–Levant regional microclades
  • Aegean coastal clusters

Notes & context

J2a-Z2227 is one of the key lineages explaining the genetic continuity between Neolithic Anatolian farmers, Aegean Bronze Age civilizations and classical eastern Mediterranean populations. Its deep branches align strongly with archaeogenetic reconstructions of early maritime mobility.