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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup O-F81

O-F81 (O2-M117/F8 downstream Chinese lineage)

Macro-haplogroup
K
Parent clade
O-F8
Formed (estimate)
c. 7,000–8,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 4,500–5,500 years ago

Overview

O-F81 is a downstream subclade within the huge O-F8 cluster under O-M117, one of the primary paternal lineages in Han Chinese populations. The emergence of F81 likely reflects secondary structuring inside the already expanding M117/F8 radiation, marking differentiation among regional farming populations in northern and eastern China. F81 therefore represents a mid-level founder lineage nested inside one of the largest East Asian Y-chromosome expansions.

Geographic distribution

F81 occurs in a range of Han Chinese populations, with frequencies typically higher in eastern and northeastern provinces. It is also detected in some Korean and Japanese samples, consistent with historical gene flow and migration from mainland China.

Ancient DNA

  • Chronological estimates place F81 diversification in the late Neolithic to early Bronze Age of northern and eastern China.
  • Its position within O-F8 indicates that it descends from the same Neolithic founder processes that gave rise to the broader M117/F8 complex.
  • The spatial distribution of F81 is consistent with known axes of migration and cultural interaction between north China, the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago.

Phylogeny & subclades

F81 is one of several identifiable branches inside O-F8. It sits below the main F8 founder node and includes multiple short internal branches that likely correspond to regional clan expansions. Compared with F5-derived lineages, F81 is strongly tied to the M117 megacluster rather than the F5 side of the O2 tree.

  • O-F81*
  • Minor downstream Chinese/Japanese branches

Notes & context

Although smaller than the total F8 cluster, F81 is useful for capturing additional structure within the huge O-M117 expansion and for refining regional East Asian paternal histories.