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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

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Haplogroup R2

R-M479

Macro-haplogroup
R
Parent clade
R
Formed (estimate)
c. 22,000 - 26,000 years before present (estimate)
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 12,000 - 18,000 years ago (estimate)

Overview

Haplogroup R2 is the sister branch of R1 under haplogroup R and has a distribution centered on South Asia and parts of the Near East. Unlike R1, which underwent massive expansions in Europe and across the Eurasian steppe, R2 remained more localized but still achieved notable frequencies in some South Asian populations. Its age suggests that R2 arose in a population located somewhere in western or southern Asia during the Late Pleistocene.

Geographic distribution

R2 is most common in South Asia, especially in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and also appears in Iran, the Caucasus and Central Asia at lower frequencies. Some branches have a stronger presence in specific communities or geographic regions within the Indian subcontinent.

Ancient DNA

  • Direct ancient DNA evidence for R2 is still relatively limited, but the lineage likely participated in the complex demographic history of South Asia that includes multiple waves of ancestry from Iran related farmers, local hunter gatherers and later steppe related groups.
  • The presence of R2 in both South Asia and Iran suggests deep connections between these regions going back to the Pleistocene and early Holocene.

Phylogeny & subclades

R2 splits into at least two main branches, including R2a defined by M124. These internal branches show differences in geographic distribution, with some more strongly concentrated in South Asia and others extending into Iran and nearby regions.

  • R2a-M124
  • Additional minor branches with South Asian and Iranian distributions

Notes & context

R2 is a useful reminder that not all lineages under R followed the same migratory routes. While R1 dominated Eurasian steppe and European expansions, R2 followed a more southerly trajectory and became associated mainly with South Asian and adjacent Near Eastern populations.