Overview
Q-YY12 is a northern Siberian branch of haplogroup Q2 that shows strong genetic continuity with ancient taiga populations of the middle Lena and Kolyma regions. It is mainly associated with Tungusic speaking groups such as Evenk and Even, as well as with Dolgan and some Yakut subpopulations through later admixture. Q-YY12 reflects an early Holocene expansion of hunter fisher communities along the northeast Siberian river systems. The clade is important for understanding how Q2 lineages contributed to the paternal ancestry of Siberian and Turkic influenced populations.
Geographic distribution
Modern distributions show Q-YY12 concentrated among Evenk and Even groups across Yakutia, the Lena upper basin, Kolyma region and northern taiga. Dolgan and certain Yakut subgroups also show low level presence, reflecting later mixing between Tungusic and Turkic speaking communities. The lineage is almost absent outside northeastern Siberia, highlighting a strong regional focus.
Ancient DNA
- Ancient genomes from the Kolyma and Cis Baikal regions show Q2 derived ancestry that is phylogenetically close to Q-YY12, consistent with a northern Siberian origin.
- The estimated formation period overlaps with the Holocene reoccupation of the northern taiga, when small mobile groups expanded along the Lena and Aldan river systems.
- Although no ancient genome has been directly typed as YY12 positive, the lineage fits the broader paternal structure of early northeast Siberian populations that contributed ancestry to Evenk and related groups.
Phylogeny & subclades
On YFull, Q-YY12 appears under Q-L939, forming a northern Siberian cluster with limited but clear substructure. The branch shows a long stem followed by shallow terminal branches, consistent with a small effective population size and localised continuity. Sublineages correspond to Evenk, Even and Dolgan clusters.
- Q-YY12* (core northern Siberian lineage)
- Evenk microclades
- Even and Dolgan associated branches
Notes & context
Q-YY12 is crucial for documenting the participation of Q2 lineages in the formation of Tungusic groups and their later interactions with Yakut and other Turkic speaking populations. Its restricted distribution highlights deep regional continuity in northeastern Siberia.
References & external links