Overview
J2b-Y22066 is a downstream branch of J2b-M241 that shows strong connections to southern Balkan, western Anatolian and northern Levantine populations. Its formation corresponds to the middle Holocene, when early farming and herding communities in these regions were expanding along river systems, inland valleys and coastal plains. Archaeological parallels include the spread of early village cultures in the Balkans, increased mobility across the Aegean gateway and the development of Chalcolithic settlements in the northern Levant. During the Bronze Age and Iron Age, Y22066 bearing groups appear to have been integrated into the population circuits linking the Aegean, the western Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean. The downstream phylogeny indicates founder effects associated with local expansions in Balkan river basins and coastal interaction zones.
Geographic distribution
Modern distributions show peaks in Albania, North Macedonia, coastal Greece and western Anatolia. Medium frequencies occur in southern Italy, the northern Levant and Cyprus. Lower levels across the eastern Mediterranean and the western Black Sea region reflect secondary historical movements.
Ancient DNA
- Neolithic and Chalcolithic Balkan samples include J2b lineages compatible with early Y22066 ancestors.
- Bronze Age individuals from the Aegean basin present J2b structures that match the upstream parts of Y22066.
- Levantine Bronze Age sites contain J2b branches consistent with Y22066 related expansion.
- Classical era settlements across the Aegean and Adriatic include downstream Y22066 variants.
- Medieval remains from the Balkans show continuity with Y22066 bearing populations.
Phylogeny & subclades
Y22066 forms a geographically diverse branch under J2b-M241 with clear clustering in the southern Balkans and Aegean corridor. Several derived lines show localized founder effects in coastal and inland valley populations.
- Y22066* basal Balkan form
- Aegean associated microbranches
- Western Anatolian daughter clusters
- Levantine downstream variants
Notes & context
J2b-Y22066 is a key lineage for understanding population interactions between the southern Balkans, the Aegean and the northern Levant from the Neolithic through the medieval period.
References & external links