Overview
Haplogroup R-Y178770 represents another important downstream lineage of R-Y14051, tied to early Inner Asian steppe populations active during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. Its phylogenetic depth indicates an origin in the Inner Asian mountain-steppe interface, likely within populations involved in long-distance mobility between the Altai, the Irtysh corridor and the northern fringes of the Tarim Basin. Present-day carriers of Y178770 occur most frequently in Kazakhstan, the Altai Republic, western Mongolia and across several Siberian Turkic groups. The lineage has moderate internal diversity, with multiple microbranches pointing to regionally distinct expansions that took shape during the first millennium CE. These expansions correlate with the consolidation of early Turkic polities, where a limited number of paternal lines experienced rapid growth. The dual east-west distribution of Y178770 suggests that it participated in the broader demographic processes that shaped both West Turkic and East Turkic tribal confederations. Its stable presence across the Eurasian steppe frontier underscores its importance for reconstructing the genetic history of nomadic societies during transitional periods marked by technological, cultural and political transformations.