haplogroups.info
Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

A · BT · CT · F · K · K2 · K2b · NO · N · N2 · N2a · N-FGC28535

Haplogroup N-FGC28535

N2a1-FGC28535 (West Eurasian N2a branch)

Macro-haplogroup
K
Parent clade
N2a
Formed (estimate)
c. 7,000 - 10,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 3,000 - 5,000 years ago

Overview

N-FGC28535 represents the principal structured branch within N2a that expanded westward into the Pontic, Carpathian and Balkan regions. Its ancestral roots lie in the Altai-to-Amur forest-steppe belt, where the N2a-P189.2 lineage formed during the terminal Pleistocene. Over time, a subset of N2a males carrying the FGC28535 mutation migrated along the Eurasian steppe corridor, interacting with early pastoral communities, forest-steppe foragers and later Bronze Age societies. The phylogenetic position of FGC28535 shows that it constitutes a stable and coherent west Eurasian-facing branch, distinct from the Siberian-centered N2b and the mountain-altitude-associated N2c. Its time depth aligns with periods of increasing mobility, exchange networks and demographic reorganization across the Carpathian Basin, Balkans and western Anatolia.

Geographic distribution

Today, N-FGC28535 lineages occur predominantly in southeastern Europe including the Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece, as well as in Turkey, particularly in regions historically embedded in steppe-Balkan-Anatolian interaction spheres. Additional carriers appear in Central Europe, the Caucasus and scattered areas of western Europe. This broad but low-frequency distribution reflects ancient westward expansions followed by regional founder events and long-term genetic assimilation within diverse populations.

Ancient DNA

  • Ancient DNA from steppe-influenced Bronze Age individuals in the Carpathian Basin exhibits upstream N2a-P189.2 signals compatible with the FGC28535 cluster.
  • Archaeogenomic material from proto-Thracian and early Balkan Iron Age groups shows N-lineage profiles that fall closest to the FGC28535 subtree.
  • Botai-associated P189.2 individuals are ancestral to N2a, and phylogenetic projections indicate that FGC28535-descending lineages are part of the westward diffusion of this ancestry into southeastern Europe.

Phylogeny & subclades

Within N2a, FGC28535 represents one of the clearest structured branches and forms the backbone of the west Eurasian expression of N2 ancestry. Downstream nodes include several Balkan-centered clusters and regional microbranches in Anatolia and Central Europe. The phylogeny indicates stable diversification over the last five millennia, consistent with population continuity rather than rapid expansions.

  • N-FGC28535* (basal west Eurasian form)
  • N-FGC28535>Y7310 (Carpathian-Balkan subbranch)
  • Regional southern Balkan microbranches
  • Private FGC28535 clusters in Central and Western Europe

Notes & context

N-FGC28535 is one of the most important N2a branches for understanding the genetic history of southeastern Europe. Its low but widespread presence points to early mobility networks that predate major historical population movements, and its stable diversification pattern makes it a strong marker for deep paternal ancestry in Balkan and Anatolian populations.