Overview
Q-L472 is a north Eurasian branch of haplogroup Q1b-M378 that represents one of the oldest surviving paternal lineages in northeastern Siberia and adjacent regions. It likely formed in the Late Upper Paleolithic among hunter gatherer groups living between the Yenisey and Lena basins. Today, Q-L472 acts as an upstream trunk for a set of rare but informative lineages, including the L804 cluster that is prominent in Yakut and related populations. The position of L472 in the tree shows that Q1b diversity extended deep into northern Eurasia and was not restricted to West Asian or Central Asian environments.
Geographic distribution
Q-L472 itself is rare in modern populations and usually appears through its downstream branches. Its present day representation is focused in Siberia, including the Lena and middle Yenisey regions, with occasional low level presence among northern Russians and Finnic or Ugric groups influenced by Siberian gene flow. The sparse but geographically coherent distribution points to a long history in the taiga and forest steppe belt of north central Eurasia.
Ancient DNA
- The estimated age of Q-L472 places its formation close to the terminal Pleistocene, when north Eurasian hunter gatherers recolonised high latitude environments after the Last Glacial Maximum.
- Ancient genome studies from Siberia have identified Q lineages related to the Q1b cluster in the Baikal, Lena and Yenisey regions, consistent with an ancient presence of L472 level ancestry.
- Although no ancient Y chromosome has yet been typed specifically as L472 positive, the phylogenetic position of the clade and the geographic focus of its descendants converge on a northeast Siberian origin.
Phylogeny & subclades
On YFull and FTDNA trees, Q-L472 forms a trunk under Q-M346 that leads to several rare northern branches, including Q-L804 and its derivatives. Internal structure suggests an early split followed by long periods of low effective population size. The downstream diversification of L804 and related lineages in Yakutia and neighboring regions reflects later Holocene expansions from this older L472 stem.
- Q-L472* (very rare basal state)
- Q-L804 and associated northeast Siberian branches
Notes & context
Q-L472 is important because it anchors the northernmost cluster of Q1b lineages and links ancient north Eurasian paternal ancestry to modern Yakut and other Siberian populations. It shows that the Q1b radiation produced not only West Asian and Volga Ural branches but also deeply rooted Siberian lines.
References & external links