Overview
Haplogroup N (M231) represents one of the dominant paternal lineages of northern Eurasia and is deeply tied to the post-LGM expansions into the taiga, forest-steppe and subarctic zones of Siberia and northeastern Europe. Its earliest diversification likely occurred in northeastern China or the Amur–Manchuria region, from where its ancestors rapidly expanded northward into the vast Siberian corridor. N played a major role in shaping the paternal ancestry of Finno-Ugric, Uralic and numerous Siberian peoples.
Geographic distribution
Highest frequencies occur among Yakuts, Evenks, Nenets, Nganasan, Finns, Estonians and Karelians. Moderate frequencies extend across the Volga-Ural region, western Siberia, northern China and Mongolia.
Ancient DNA
- Upper Paleolithic and early Holocene genomes from the Amur region show basal N* structure.
- Neolithic and Bronze Age individuals from Siberia reveal early N1-derived lineages tied to forest-zone hunter-gatherers.
- Early Uralic-associated individuals in northwestern Russia display downstream N1a branches.
Phylogeny & subclades
N divides into two major branches: N1 and N2 (the latter extremely rare). N1 contains the dominant paternal lineages of northern Eurasia.
Notes & context
N is critical for understanding the peopling of Siberia, the formation of Uralic-speaking populations and the late Pleistocene expansions into the northern ecological zones.
References & external links