Overview
Haplogroup R-V4206 is another extremely early branch within the upstream structure of haplogroup R, occupying a phylogenetic position close to the root of R-M207. Its age places its formation during the height of the Upper Paleolithic, a time when Eurasian hunter gatherer groups were adapting to climatic fluctuations that culminated in the Last Glacial Maximum. V4206 likely represents one of the small paternal lineages maintained by mobile Paleolithic groups in regions spanning southern Siberia, Central Asia or eastern Iran. The hallmark of V4206 is its survival despite the overwhelming dominance of the later R1 and R2 expansions. Most Upper Paleolithic paternal lines went extinct or were absorbed into rapidly growing populations associated with Holocene transitions such as the spread of agriculture or Bronze Age migrations. The persistence of V4206 in extremely low frequencies today suggests long term survival in small, geographically isolated groups. Its downstream branching is minimal, indicating repeated historical bottlenecks. Modern representatives of V4206 are extremely rare and occur only sporadically across the Caucasus, Central Asia and southwestern Siberia. These traces hint at ancient continuity rather than recent expansions. Although ancient DNA confirmation is lacking, the deep placement of V4206 makes it highly relevant for understanding early R diversification and the survival of rare Paleolithic lineages into the present.