Overview
Q-L808 is a downstream subbranch of Q-L804 and one of the main lineages that define the Yakut paternal gene pool. Its estimated time to the most recent common ancestor falls in the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age, a period when north Asian societies experienced increasing mobility, social complexity and regional differentiation. The clade is particularly important because it illustrates how a rare Q1b lineage became amplified within a specific Turkic speaking population in northeastern Siberia.
Geographic distribution
Q-L808 reaches its highest frequencies among Yakut populations, especially in the central and northern districts of the Sakha Republic. It is also present in some Dolgan and Evenk groups that have Yakut related ancestry. Outside northeastern Siberia, Q-L808 is very rare and mainly detected in individuals whose paternal lines trace back to Yakutia. The strongly focused distribution underlines its character as a Yakut centred founder lineage.
Ancient DNA
- Ancient individuals carrying lineages upstream of L808 have been reported in Holocene and later contexts in northeastern Siberia, demonstrating long term continuity of Q1b derived paternal ancestry in the region.
- The TMRCA of Q-L808 fits well with archaeological evidence for the formation of early Yakut culture and the northward movement of Turkic groups from more southerly steppe and forest steppe zones.
- As more ancient genomes from Yakutia and surrounding regions become available, it is likely that Q-L808 will be detected in medieval and early historical individuals associated with the emergence of Yakut ethnogenesis.
Phylogeny & subclades
On YFull, Q-L808 appears as a child branch of Q-L804, forming a tight cluster with short terminal branches. This pattern indicates a relatively recent population expansion from a small number of male founders, consistent with ethnographic and historical models of Yakut formation. Substructure within L808 often tracks specific clan or regional identities among Yakut groups.
- Q-L808* (core Yakut founder cluster)
- Regional Yakut microclades under L808
Notes & context
Q-L808 is a key paternal marker for Yakut related ancestry and highlights the role of founder effects and drift in shaping the genetic profile of small, rapidly expanding populations. Including Q-L808 in a Y DNA atlas makes it possible to distinguish Yakut centred Q lineages from other Siberian and Central Asian Q branches.
References & external links