Haplogroup H (Y-DNA), also known as H-L901/M2939, is a Y-chromosome haplogroup.
The primary branch H1 (H-M69) and its subclades is one of the most predominant haplogroups amongst populations in South Asia, particularly its descendant H1a1 (M52). H1a (M69) originated about 30,000 years ago in South Central Asia or western India. A primary branch of H-M52, H1a1a (H-M82), is found commonly among the Roma, who originated in South Asia and migrated into the Middle East and Europe, around the beginning of the 2nd millennium CE The much rarer primary branch H3 (Z5857) is also concentrated in South Asia.
However, the primary branch H2 (P96) seems to have been found in sparse levels primarily in Europe and West Asia since prehistory. It has been found in remains of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB), which is part of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, a Neolithic culture centered in upper Mesopotamia and the Levant, dating to years ago, and also the later Linear Pottery culture and Neolithic Iberia. H2 likely entered Europe during the Neolithic with the spread of agriculture. Its present distribution is made up of various individual cases spread out throughout Europe and West Asia today.
Structure H-L901/M2939 is a direct descendant of Haplogroup GHIJK. There are, in turn, three direct descendants of H-L901/M2939 – their defining SNPs are as follows: H1 (L902/M3061) H1a previously haplogroup H1 (M69/Page45, M370) H1b B108, Z34961, Z34962, Z34963, Z34964 H2 previously haplogroup F3, (P96, L279, L281, L284, L285, L286, M282) H2a FGC29299/Z19067 H2b Z41290 H2c Y21618, Z19080 H3 (Z5857) H3a (Z5866) H3b (Z13871)
Ancient distribution H-L901/M2939 is believed to have split from HIJK 48,500 years before present. Ancient samples of H1a have been found in Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan etc., and ancient H2 samples have been found in Levant, Anatolia and Europe. It may have been present in pre-Neolithic inhabitants of South Asia. Possible site of introduction may be West Asia or (for H1) northwest part of South Asia, since it is highly concentrated there.
H1a
Shahr-i Sokhta and Gonur sites
Shahr-e Sukhteh, Iran and Gonur, Turkmenistan. H1a1d2 - Bronze Age, 3200-1900 BCE. + H1a ANCIENT SAMPLES Sample ID Location Radiocarbon Age Y-DNA I11459 Shahr-i Sokhta, Iran 2875-2631 calBCE H1a1d2 I10409 Gonur, Turkmenistan 2280-2044 calBCE H1a1d2
Gogdara and Barikot sites
With limited ancient DNA testing in South Asia, accordingly there is a limited amount of ancient samples for H1a, despite it being a populous and well distributed haplogroup today. The first set of ancient DNA from South Asia was published in 2019. 65 samples were collected from the Swat Valley of northern Pakistan, 2 of which belonged to H1a. +H1a ANCIENT SAMPLESDateSubcladeLocationCountryCultureAccompanying haplogroupsSource1100-900 BCH1a1Gogdara, Swat ValleyPakistanUdegram Iron AgeE1b1b1b2, E1b1b1b2a1000-800 BCH1a1Barikot, Swat ValleyPakistanBarikot Iron Age
H2 The earliest sample of H2 is found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B culture of the Levant 10,300 years ago. From ancient samples, it is clear that H2 also has a strong association with the spread of agriculture from Anatolia into Europe, and is commonly found with haplogroup G2a. H2 was found in Neolithic Anatolia, as well as in multiple later Neolithic cultures of Europe, such as the Vinča culture in Serbia, and the Megalith culture of Western Europe.
The 2021 study "Using Y-chromosome capture enrichment to resolve haplogroup H2 shows new evidence for a two-path Neolithic expansion to Western Europe" found that while H2 is less than 0.2% in modern-day western European populations it was more common during the Neolithic, between 1.5 and 9%. They identified two major clades H2m and H2d. With respect to the current ISOGG nomenclature, H2m appears to be defined by a mix of H2, H2a, H2a1 and H2c1a SNPs while H2d appears to be defined by two H2b1 SNPs, and four additional SNPs which were previously undetected. They estimated TMRCA for H2d and H2m was ~15.4 kya with H2m and H2d estimated TMRCAs of ~11.8 and ~11.9 kya respectively. H2 diversity probably existed in Near-Eastern hunter-gatherers and early farmers, and subsequently spread via the Neolithic expansion into Central and Western Europe. H2d was found along the inland/Danubian route into central Europe, but most H2m individuals are found along the Mediterranean route into Western Europe, the Iberian Peninsula and ultimately, Ireland.
There were also two occurrences of H2a found in the Neolithic Linkardstown burials in the southeast Ireland. More Neolithic H2 samples have been found in Germany and France.
+ H2 ancient samplesDateLocationCountryCultureAccompanying haplogroupsSource8300-7900 BCAin GhazalJordanLevantine Pre-Pottery Neolithic BE1b, T1a7300-6750 BCMotzaIsraelLevantine Pre-Pottery Neolithic BE1b1b1b2, T1a1, T1a2a (PPNB from Jordan)6500-6200 BCBarcin site, Yenişehir ValleyTurkeyAnatolian NeolithicG2a, I2C, C1a, J2a6500-6200 BCBarcin site, Yenişehir ValleyTurkeyAnatolian NeolithicG2a, I2C, C1a, J2a5832–5667 BCСтарчевоSerbiaVinčaG2a5710–5662 BCTell Kurdu, Amik ValleyTurkeyAnatolian NeolithicJ1a2a, G2a25702–5536 BCСтарчевоSerbiaVinčaG2a5400–5000 BCSzemelyHungaryVinčaG2a2a, G2a2b2a1a3900–3600 BCLa Mina site, SoriaSpainMegalithicI2a2a13900–2600 BCBoucle sinkhole, CorconneFranceLate NeolithicI2a1, G2a, R1b-V883500–2500 BCMonte San Biagio, LatiumItalyRinaldone culture/Gaudo culture3925–3715 BCArslantepeTurkeyEarly Bronze AgeJ2a1a1a2b2a, J1a2b1, E1b1b1b2a1a1, G2a2b1, J2a1a1a2b1b, R1b1a23366–3146 BC ArslantepeTurkeyEarly Bronze AgeJ2a1a1a2b2a, J1a2b1, E1b1b1b2a1a1, G2a2b1, J2a1a1a2b1b, R1b1a23336–3028 BCDzhulyunitsaBulgariaBulgarian Bronze AgeG2a2a1a22899–2678 BCEl Portalon caveSpainPre-Bell BeakerI2a2a2470–2060 BCBudapest-BekasmegyerHungaryKurgan Bell BeakerR1b1a1a2a1a2b11881–1700 BCAlalakhTurkeyLevantine Middle Bronze Age II J1a2a1a2, J2b2, T1a1, L2-L595, J2a1a1a2b2a1b550–332 BCBeirutLebanonIron Age III Achaemenid period G2a2a1a2, G2a2b1a2, J1a2a1a2, I2a1b, Q1b
Modern distribution
H1a
South Asia H-M69 is typical among populations of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan, in both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian speaking groups.
Haplogroup H-M69 has been found in: India - Divided into zones below: North India - According to a study (Trivedi2007) it is found 24.5% (44/180) in both caste and tribal population of North India. Most frequently found : 65.0% among Brahmins from Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, 59% among Uttar Pradesh (UP) Gonds, 44.4% (8/18) among UP Chamar, 38.1% among UP Kurmis, 20.7% (6/29) among UP Rajputs, 18.3% (9/49) among New Delhi Hindus, 18.2% among Kanyakubja Brahmins of UP, 16.13% (5/31) among UP Brahmins, 20.5% among Vaish from Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, 12.1% (5/41) Haryana Brahmin, 11.11% (6/54) among UP Kols, 10.53% (2/19) among Himachal Brahmin, 10.2% (5/49) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Gujars, 9.8% (5/51) in J&K Kashmiri Pandits, 9.3% (4/43) in Haryana Bania South India – 27.2% (110/405) of a sample of unspecified ethnic composition. Haplogroup H is found in high frequencies among Dravidian-speaking Koraga at 87% and Koya at around 70%. Another study has found haplogroup H-M69 in 26.4% (192/728) of an ethnically diverse pool of samples from various regions of India. West India - Among 37.5% (6/16) of Marathas, 33.3% (68/204) of samples from Maharashtra 31.3% (5/16) of Dhangars, 33.3 (16/48) samples of Bharwad of Gujarat 20.69% (12/58) among Gujaratis of Texas, USA. and 13.8% (4/29) among unspecified Gujaratis in India, 26% (13/50)among Dawoodi Bohra, 27.27 (6/22) among Bhils, 20% (3/15) among Chitpavan Brahmins, 15.8% (3/19) in Deshastha Brahmins, 1.56% among Gujarati Brahmins East India - 36.4% (4/11) among Bihar Bania, 30.8% (4/13) in Bihar Kurmi, 28.6% (4/14) Bihar Kayastha, 23.1% (3/13) among Odisha Khandayat, 15% (3/20) among West Bengal Namasudra, 14.81% (4/27) among Bihar Paswan, 10% (2/20) among Bihar Bhumihar, 9.7% (3/31) among Bengalis of West Bengal (WB), 8.3% each for Odia Brahmins and Bihar Rajputs, 5.56% (1/18) among West Bengal Brahmins. Central India - Gondi people of Madhya Pradesh carry around 62.5% of halpogroup H, while Madhya Pradesh Brahmins have it at 23.8%. 21.1% (4/19) of Kshatriyas, 17.6% (3/17) of Brahmins, and 17.1% (4/23) of Shudras carry this haplogroup. Bangladesh - 35.71% (15/42) in samples from Dhaka, and 17.72% (115/649) among Bengali samples from various areas of the country. Sri Lanka – in 25.3% (23/91) of a sample of unspecified ethnic composition and in 10.3% (4/39) of a sample of Sinhalese. Nepal – one study has found Haplogroup H-M69 in approximately 12% of a sample of males from the general population of Kathmandu (including 4/77 H-M82, 4/77 H-M52(xM82), and 1/77 H-M69(xM52, APT)) and 6% of a sample of Newars (4/66 H-M82). In another study, Y-DNA that belongs to Haplogroup H-M69 has been found in 25.7% (5/37 = 13.5% H-M69 from a village in Morang District, 9/57 = 15.8% H-M69 from a village in Chitwan District, and 30/77 = 39.0% H-M69 from another village in Chitwan District) of Tharus in Nepal. Pakistan – in 20.5% Kalash, 4.2% Pashtun, 4.1% Burusho and 6.3% in other Pakistanis. Another study has found haplogroup H-M69 in approximately 8% (3/38) of a sample of Burusho (also known as Hunza), including 5% (2/38) H-M82(xM36, M97, M39/M138) and 3% (1/38) H-M36. Afghanistan – in 7.1% Tajik., in 6.1% Pashtun.
Roma people Haplogroup H-M82 is a major lineage cluster in the Roma, especially Balkan Roma, among whom it accounts for approximately as high as 60% of males. A 2-bp deletion at M82 locus defining this haplogroup was also reported in one-third of males from traditional Roma populations living in Bulgaria, Spain, and Lithuania. High prevalence of Asian-specific Y chromosome haplogroup H-M82 supports their Indian origin and a hypothesis of a small number of founders diverging from a single ethnic group in India (Gresham et al. 2001).
Within the H-M82 haplogroup, an identical 8-microsatellite Y-chromosome haplotype is shared by nearly 30% of Gypsy men, an astonishing degree of preservation of a highly differentiated lineage, previously described only in Jewish priests. (A newly discovered founder population: the Roma/Gypsies - Stanford Medicine 2005)Within the H-M82 haplogroup, an identical 8-microsatellite Y chromo-some haplotype is shared by nearly 30% of Gypsy men, an astonishing degree of preservation of a highly differentiated lineage, previously described only in Jewish priests.
https://med.stanford.edu
A newly discovered founder population: the Roma/Gypsies - Stanford Medicine
https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/tanglab/documents/ANewlyDiscoveredFounderPopulation-TheRomaGypsies.pdf
Important studies show a limited introgression of the typical Roma Y-chromosome haplogroup H1 in several European groups, including approximately 0.61% in Gheg Albanians and 2.48% in Tosk Albanians. + H1a in Roma populationsPopulationn/Sample sizePercentageSourceBulgarian Roma98/24839.5Hungarian Roma34/10731.8Kosovar Roma25/4259.5Lithuanian Roma10/2050Macedonian Roma34/5759.6Portuguese Roma21/12616.7Serbian Roma16/4634.8Slovakian Roma19/6230.65Spanish Roma5/2718.5
Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia & Middle East Haplogroup H1a is found at much lower levels outside of the Indian subcontinent and the Roma populations but is still present in other populations:
Europe - 0.9% (1/113) H-M82 in a sample of Serbians, 2% (1/57) H-M82 in a sample of Macedonian Greeks, 1% (1/92 H-M82) to 2% (1/50 H-M69) of Ukrainians, H1a2a in 1.3% (1/77) of a sample of Greeks. to 7.5% (3/40 H-M82) of Romanians Caucasus- 2.6% (1/38) H-M82 in a sample of Balkarians,