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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup Q-L527

Q1b1a2-L527

Macro-haplogroup
Q
Parent clade
Q-M346
Formed (estimate)
c. 10,000 to 12,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 5,500 to 7,000 years ago

Overview

Q-L527 is a major West Siberian and Volga Ural branch of haplogroup Q1b-M378. It represents one of the deepest Eurasian lineages associated with Uralic speaking groups and Turkic speaking populations of the Volga Ural and western Siberian region. The clade likely formed during the early Holocene in West Siberia, where north Eurasian hunter fisher communities expanded along the Ob, Irtysh and Kama river networks. Today Q-L527 is particularly significant as a paternal component that links Uralic and Turkic populations and reflects the ancient contact zone between steppe, forest and forest steppe societies.

Geographic distribution

Modern distributions show Q-L527 at moderate to high levels in the Volga Ural region, especially among Bashkirs and Tatars. It is also present in Udmurt, Mari and Komi groups, as well as in northern Russian populations influenced by Finno Ugric ancestry. Eastward, Q-L527 occurs at lower frequencies among West Siberian Turkic speakers and in mixed populations of the Ob and Tobol basins. The distribution matches the historical corridor where Turkic and Uralic populations interacted for millennia.

Ancient DNA

  • Ancient DNA from the forest steppe belt indicates that Q1b lineages related to Q-L527 were present in West Siberia and the Kama region during the late Neolithic and Bronze Age.
  • The formation period aligns with the expansion of hunter fisher communities along major river systems that later contributed ancestry to early Uralic and Proto Turkic neighbors.
  • Although ancient individuals typed specifically as Q-L527 are not yet published, the deep presence of its parent haplogroup Q-M346 in Siberia supports long term continuity in this region.

Phylogeny & subclades

Q-L527 forms a well defined cluster under Q-M346 on YFull, splitting into several downstream branches including YP4004 and YP4001. These subclades show strong geographic compartmentalization between Volga Ural Turkic groups, Uralic populations and northern Russian regions. The structure is consistent with repeated local founder events and long term demographic continuity.

  • Q-L527* (West Siberian basal group)
  • Q-YP4004 (Volga Ural Turkic branch)
  • Q-YP4001 (Finno Ugric and northern Russian branch)

Notes & context

Q-L527 is essential for reconstructing the paternal history of the Volga Ural region and West Siberia. It highlights the interplay between Uralic speakers and Turkic communities and shows that Q1b-M378 lineages were not limited to the Near East but also formed deep roots in northern Eurasia.