Overview
N-Y11170 represents an early-diverging subclade within the N-Z1939 complex. It is older than many of the dense Finnish microclusters and therefore preserves a trace of the early Finnic paternal diversity prior to the medieval founder expansions. Its phylogenetic position indicates that Y11170 emerged shortly after the formation of the Z1939 trunk itself, likely within the proto-Finnic communities occupying the regions between southeastern Finland, Lake Ladoga and the White Sea hinterland.
Geographic distribution
Y11170 appears across Finland and Karelia, with notable representation in eastern Finland and the Karelian isthmus region. Lower-frequency detections occur in the Baltic countries and northwestern Russia. This broader but shallow distribution suggests an ancient but low-density paternal lineage that persisted across Finnic-speaking regions without undergoing strong founder events.
Ancient DNA
- Upstream Z1933/VL62 lineages appear in Iron Age archaeological samples from Finland and northwest Russia.
- The TMRCA of Y11170 overlaps with the early Finnic expansion across the Ladoga–Onega region.
- Its phylogenetic branching pattern supports an old, dispersed paternal substrate predating later medieval clustering.
Phylogeny & subclades
Placed directly under N-Z1939, Y11170 forms a distinct branch separate from the heavily expanded Y7308/Y7310 cluster. Its moderate internal branch lengths indicate limited but consistent survival of multiple related patrilines over the last 1,000 years.
- N-Y11170*
- Minor downstream Karelian–Finnic microbranches
Notes & context
N-Y11170 is essential for reconstructing the earliest phases of Finnic paternal structure before strong internal founder effects reshaped the genetic landscape.
References & external links