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Haplogroup Q1a-MEH2

Q1a-MEH2 (Native American ancestral stem lineage)

Macro-haplogroup

Parent clade

Q1-F1096

Formed (estimate)

c. 15,000–18,000 years before present

TMRCA (estimate)

c. 14,000–15,000 years ago

MEH2

Overview

Q1a-MEH2 is the foundational paternal lineage from which all major Native American Y-chromosome clades ultimately derive. This lineage represents the Siberian/Beringian population that crossed into the Americas during the terminal Pleistocene. Q1a-MEH2 diversified before and during the Beringian standstill period, and its downstream branches—including Q-M3, Q-Z780 and Q-Y4300—constitute the core paternal ancestry of Indigenous peoples throughout North, Central and South America.

Geographic distribution

In modern populations, Q1a-MEH2 itself is rare, but its downstream clades dominate the paternal landscape of Native American groups. In Eurasia, MEH2-level lineages appear sporadically in Siberia, particularly among Koryak, Chukchi and some Yukaghir groups, representing remnants of ancestral Siberian gene flow.

Ancient DNA

Ancient remains from Anzick-1 (Montana, ~12,600 BP) belong to a lineage directly downstream of Q1a, supporting the early presence of Q ancestry in the Americas.
Genetic continuity between Q1a-derived lineages and early Holocene Native American individuals demonstrates deep-time stability.
Divergence estimates match archaeological evidence for pre-Clovis and Clovis-era occupation of the Americas.

Phylogeny & subclades

Q1a-MEH2 is the ancestor to major American founding clades: Q-M3, Q-Z780 and multiple parallel branches. Its sister clade Q1b follows an entirely Eurasian trajectory.

Q-M3
Q-Z780
Q-Y4300
Q-Y4276

Notes & context