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Y-DNA Haplogroup Atlas

F · K · K2 · T-M184 · T-M70

Haplogroup T-M70

T-M70 (YFull T1a2 and downstream radiations)

Macro-haplogroup
T
Parent clade
T-M184
Formed (estimate)
c. 25,000–35,000 years before present
TMRCA (estimate)
c. 10,000–15,000 years ago

Overview

Haplogroup T-M70 is the dominant branch of the T lineage and accounts for the vast majority of modern T diversity. It is strongly associated with Holocene expansions across the Near East, the Horn of Africa, Arabia and parts of the Mediterranean. The lineage likely spread with early pastoralist communities as well as maritime networks that connected the eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea and Indian Ocean regions. T-M70 displays significant internal structure, with clades that correlate with Levantine, Arabian, North African, Iranian and South Asian populations. Its broad distribution reflects a complex history of migrations, trade routes, and cultural interactions spanning the Holocene.

Geographic distribution

T-M70 is widely distributed in Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, the Levant, Iraq, Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It occurs at moderate frequencies in South Asia, including India and Pakistan, reflecting deep historic connections between the Middle East and the subcontinent. Southern Europe, particularly Italy, Greece and the Balkans, also hosts notable T-M70 presence due to ancient Mediterranean interactions. Additionally, T-M70 occurs at low levels in North Africa and the Caucasus.

Ancient DNA

  • Ancient Iranian and Levantine individuals show ancestral components consistent with early T-M70 expansions.
  • Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Near Eastern genomes reveal lineages that overlap with early M70 bearing populations.
  • Archaeogenetic evidence from Ethiopia and Somalia supports early Holocene pastoralist movements that contributed to T-M70 dispersal.

Phylogeny & subclades

T-M70 includes several major downstream clades. Among them are T-L162, T-L131, T-L208 and additional branches that correspond to distinct geographic and cultural expansions. The internal tree shows strong regional clustering, especially among Levantine, Arabian and Mediterranean subclades. T-M70 is one of the most structured non-African haplogroups due to recurrent founder effects and regionally specific demographic histories.

  • T-L162
  • T-L131
  • T-L208
  • T-M70* and regional microclades

Notes & context

T-M70 is essential for tracing Holocene expansions linking the Near East, the Horn of Africa, Arabia and the Mediterranean. Its phylogenetic depth and geographic breadth make it one of the most informative lineages for reconstructing late prehistoric population movements.