Overview
Haplogroup R1a-Y874 is a downstream branch of R1a-Z2122 and represents one of the important paternal lineages shaped by the demographic processes of early Indo Iranian groups. Its formation period corresponds to the early Iron Age, when Iranian speaking communities were spreading across the Central Asian steppes and establishing cultural dominion over regions associated with later Saka and Sogdian populations. Y874 displays a moderately structured phylogeny, indicating survival through multiple centuries of regional continuity. The lineage likely originated within populations inhabiting the steppe belt stretching from southeastern Kazakhstan into northern Kyrgyzstan and western Xinjiang. These zones served as crucial contact regions where steppe pastoralists interacted with settled and semi settled societies. Modern distributions of Y874 are centered in Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with occurrences in Tajikistan and among populations with historical links to Saka, Wusun and other eastern Iranian groups. The geographic footprint and time depth of Y874 make it a valuable reference for reconstructing early Iron Age paternal ancestry in the east Central Asian sphere.