Overview
Haplogroup R-Y14476 is an important downstream branch under R-Y13200 and forms part of the deep Caucasus-focused structure of R-Z2103. Its formation during the late Bronze Age corresponds with intense cultural and demographic exchanges between steppe-derived groups and the long-established highland populations of the southern Caucasus. Y14476 likely emerged among communities inhabiting the Armenian Highland or the foothills of the central Caucasus, where it subsequently diversified. The distribution of Y14476 suggests long-term continuity and stability in mountainous regions where geographic isolation promoted genetic differentiation. This lineage is of special interest because it bridges the demographic space between steppe ancestry and indigenous Caucasian populations. Its subclades often map closely onto historic Armenian and Georgian settlement areas, underscoring the deep integration of Z2103 lineages into the ethnogenesis of these groups. The persistence of Y14476 into modern populations indicates that it maintained demographic relevance through the Iron Age, Urartian and early Armenian kingdoms, the classical era and the medieval period. Its downstream branches reflect both local founder effects and sustained regional presence.