Overview
Q-L933 is the upstream branch defining the root of haplogroup Q2, representing one of the oldest surviving paternal lineages of central and northern Siberia. This lineage predates the major expansions of Q1a into the Americas and Q1b into West Asia, and reflects a population structure maintained by Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene hunter-gatherer groups. Q-L933 is linked to regions stretching from the Altai transition zone toward the mid-Yenisei basin, showing deep continuity across early Siberian ecological zones.
Geographic distribution
Today Q-L933 and closely related branches occur at low to moderate frequencies among several Paleo-Siberian and north-central Siberian populations, including Ket, Selkup, Evenki and some Altai-Sayan communities. Its distribution indicates survival within small, isolated populations experiencing strong genetic drift.
Ancient DNA
- Ancient genomes from the Baikal and mid-Yenisei region show ancestry components consistent with L933-level lineages.
- The estimated age places this lineage within the final phase of Beringian and pre-Beringian population structuring.
- Q-L933's persistence in small Siberian groups suggests long-term demographic isolation and reduced admixture during the Holocene.
Phylogeny & subclades
Q-L933 forms the root of Q2 and splits into L939 and L941, which represent more geographically structured downstream branches.
Notes & context
Q-L933 is essential for understanding pre-Neolithic Siberian population structure and the divergence of Q lineages prior to their dispersal across Eurasia and the Americas.
References & external links