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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup N1a1a1a2b

N1a1a1a2b

Macro-haplogroup
K
Parent clade
N1a1a1a2
Formed (estimate)
c. 6,000–7,500 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 2,200–3,300 years ago

Overview

N1a1a1a2b is the northeastern Baltic and Finnic–Ingria transitional branch of the N1a1a1a2 complex. It likely arose among prehistoric populations inhabiting the coastal zone between present day Estonia, the Narva–Lake Peipus basin and the Finno-Baltic cultural frontier. This region was historically characterized by intense cultural exchange, bilingual populations and shifting group boundaries, and N1a1a1a2b mirrors this anthropological mosaic.

Geographic distribution

Highest frequencies occur in northeastern Estonia and the cross-border region extending toward Ingria and the Karelian isthmus. It appears in Votia, Izhorian and mixed Finnic–Russian communities, and at low frequency in Latvia’s northern districts. Its presence in some Finnish samples tends to reflect historical migration rather than deep origin.

Ancient DNA

  • Ancient DNA from eastern Baltic coastal communities reveals paternal diversity consistent with N1a1a1a2b’s position near contact zones between east Baltic hunter–fisher groups and inland Uralic-related populations.
  • Early medieval samples from northwest Russia include N-lineages phylogenetically close to N1a1a1a2b, matching the known Finno–Baltic cultural transitions in the region.
  • Archaeological traditions associated with the Chud and Votes align chronologically with estimated tmrca values of N1a1a1a2b.

Phylogeny & subclades

N1a1a1a2b sits under Z342 as a sister line to the core Estonian 2a clade. It shows moderate internal branching, with clusters corresponding to Lake Peipus populations, Narva river basin groups and Ingria. Downstream branches remain limited in size but regionally distinct.

  • N1a1a1a2b1 (Lake Peipus–Narva cluster)
  • N1a1a1a2b2 (Ingria–western Russia branch)
  • Basal N1a1a1a2b* lineages

Notes & context

Because of its geographic and cultural placement, this clade is extremely informative for modeling Finnic–Baltic–Slavic contact. It is a key lineage for reconstructing micro-regional ethnogenesis in the northeastern Baltic.