Overview
Haplogroup R-Z367 is one of the earliest internal branches under R-L2 and forms an important transitional lineage linking the base of the L2 trunk with the denser downstream expansions of the U152 complex. It likely originated in the later Bronze Age in central Europe, during the period when populations connected to the upper Danube and Alpine regions were undergoing substantial demographic expansion and structuring. Z367 is characterized by moderate internal diversity, suggesting stable long-term persistence rather than rapid or explosive expansion. This makes it especially useful for tracking the formation of early European highland and foothill communities. Its distribution overlaps with regions known from archaeology to have sustained cultural continuity from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age, including parts of Switzerland, southern Germany and northeastern Italy. Although Z367 is less widespread today than the larger L2-derived lineages, it occupies an important phylogenetic position as one of the primary early splits beneath L2. This means that Z367 marks one of the earliest diversification events within the U152 macrolandscape, making it a valuable marker for reconstructing the early demographic phases of the lineage.