Overview
Haplogroup T-L206 is a rare and early diverging branch of the T-M184 lineage. It represents a lineage that persisted in relatively small populations without participating in the broader Holocene expansions that shaped the distribution of T-M70. T-L206 frequencies are generally low, but the lineage’s presence across the Near East, the Horn of Africa and parts of the Mediterranean suggests a long-term substratum associated with early pastoralist and maritime populations. Its rarity and shallow diversity reflect historical bottlenecks and limited population growth compared to its sister clade T-M70.
Geographic distribution
T-L206 has been recorded in small numbers across Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen and the Levant. Isolated cases occur in Italy, Greece and coastal Anatolia. Low frequencies in Iran and the Arabian Peninsula are consistent with a long-standing but non-expansive presence. Occasional South Asian samples reflect historical Near Eastern connections.
Ancient DNA
- Neolithic Levantine and Arabian genetic profiles show components consistent with deep T-L206 ancestry.
- Genomic models of early herding communities in the Horn of Africa overlap with T-L206 bearing modern populations.
- Some Chalcolithic and Bronze Age sites in the Levant present paternal signals compatible with early T branches.
Phylogeny & subclades
T-L206 forms a shallow cluster with limited downstream branching. Most derived lineages represent regionally localized microclades in the Horn of Africa and parts of the Levant. The clade’s structure suggests long-term low effective population sizes and minimal involvement in major demographic expansions.
- T-L206*
- Region-specific L206 microclades
Notes & context
T-L206 provides insight into the earliest stages of T lineage diversification. Its rarity and limited branching highlight the contrasting demographic histories within haplogroup T.
References & external links