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Haplogroup O1a2

O1a2 (Island Southeast Asia Austronesian lineage)

Macro-haplogroup

Parent clade

O1a-M119

Formed (estimate)

c. 10,000–13,000 years before present

TMRCA (estimate)

c. 4,000–6,000 years ago

O1a2
M50_FT126497 (depending on subbranch)

Overview

O1a2 forms one of the major Austronesian paternal clusters outside Taiwan. The lineage developed among early Neolithic coastal populations in southeast China and quickly spread southward during the initial stages of the Austronesian dispersal. O1a2 carriers were involved in the formation of maritime communities in the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo and the wider Indonesian archipelago. Its branching structure mirrors the geographic spread of Neolithic seafaring societies.

Geographic distribution

High frequencies in the Philippines (Tagalog, Visayan, Ilocano), Indonesia (Sulawesi, Borneo, Java), Malaysia, Brunei and parts of eastern Indonesia (Maluku). Low to moderate in Taiwan and southern China. Present in Polynesian and Micronesian populations at lower levels.

Ancient DNA

Neolithic remains from Southeast Asia indicate O1a-related ancestry in early farming settlements.
Austronesian-associated archaeological complexes from Luzon show continuity with O1a2-bearing populations.
O1a2 traces maritime migration routes linking Taiwan to the Philippines and beyond.

Phylogeny & subclades

Forms a sibling clade to O1a1, branching early in the Austronesian network. O1a2’s structure includes multiple regional branches that correspond closely to Austronesian settlement patterns across Island Southeast Asia.

O1a2a
O1a2b
O1a2*

Notes & context