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Q-M848 (Primary South American expansion lineage)
Q-M848 is the major founding paternal lineage of South America and represents the principal branch through which early Native American settlers expanded into the Andean, Amazonian and southern cone regions. Its demographic history indicates rapid population growth following the southward movement along the Pacific and Andean corridors, as well as major diversification within the Amazon Basin.
Very high frequencies in the Andes (Quechua, Aymara), widespread in Amazonian populations (Tupi-Guarani, Arawak, Panoan), and present in southern cone groups such as Mapuche. Also occurs in some North American groups at lower frequencies due to ancient shared ancestry.
Q-M848 forms multiple major sublineages with clear geographic structuring, including Andean-, Amazonian- and southern cone–centered branches. It is parallel to northern lineages such as Y4300 and Y4276.
Q-M848 is the single most influential Y-DNA lineage for understanding early South American population history.