Overview
J2b-Z41920 represents a coastal and river-valley oriented branch of the J2b-M241 complex. It appears to have formed during the Neolithic expansions into the southeastern European coastlines and the Aegean-Adriatic interaction zones. Early carriers of the lineage likely participated in maritime-oriented economies that linked Aegean island networks with Balkan river corridors. In the Bronze Age, populations bearing Z41920 became integrated into cultural systems around Mycenaean Greece, the southern Balkans and western Anatolia. Later diversification produced subbranches tied to island communities, coastal trade hubs and lowland agricultural centers. Iron Age and classical evidence suggests long-term continuity and regional cohesion among Z41920 derivative populations.