Overview
J2b-Z40641 is a downstream subclade of J2b-M241 strongly associated with the demographic trajectories of the southern Balkans, the Aegean basin and western Anatolia. Its early formation coincides with the spread of early agricultural communities into southeastern Europe and the emergence of maritime communication networks along the Aegean. Archaeological parallels include Neolithic Balkan villages, Chalcolithic exchange hubs and Bronze Age coastal settlements. By the Bronze Age, Z40641 was integrated into population movements tied to Mycenaean influence, Aegean–Anatolian maritime routes and Adriatic regional dynamics. Its downstream substructure indicates repeated founder events in specific localities such as Aegean island communities and coastal settlements in western Turkey. Later continuity in classical and Hellenistic populations reflects its enduring presence in maritime-influenced societies.