Description
Haplogroup C2a1a3a (F3796), also denoted C2*-ST (C2 paragroup of the Star Cluster), is a branch of C2a1a3 (F1918) found predominantly in Central Asian Turkic and Mongolian populations — particularly Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Hazara. Despite the name 'paragroup of the Star Cluster', it is phylogenetically distinct from the Genghis Khan Star Cluster (C2b1a1-F3918) and represents a separate medieval Mongolian expansion. Its defining subclade F5481 is the paternal ancestor of major Kazakh Kerey tribe clans. The C2*-ST lineage is described in the literature as tracing back to 'ordinary Mongols' rather than to the Chinggisid imperial line.
Interesting Fact
A landmark 2018 whole-sequence analysis (Lan et al.) concluded that the C2*-ST cluster (F3796 and descendants) traces back to ordinary Mongol commoners rather than Genghis Khan's Borjigin lineage — challenging earlier assumptions that all high-frequency C2 expansions in Central Asia were linked to the Mongol imperial family.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhs (Kerey, Middle Zhuz) | Central Asia (Kazakhstan) | n=400 | |
| Kyrgyz | Central Asia | n=300 | |
| Hazara | South Asia (Afghanistan) | n=150 | |
| Mongols (commoner clans) | Mongolia | n=500 |
Associated Clans & Tribes
Tribe
Kerey
Kazakhstan
The Kerey tribe of the Kazakh Middle Zhuz is the primary carrier of the C2*-ST (F3796) lineage; 58.9% of Kerey males belong to C2a1a3a1b1 (FT224144)
Tags
References
- Lan et al. (2022) — Whole-sequence analysis indicates that the Y chromosome C2*-Star Cluster traces back to ordinary Mongols, rather than Genghis Khan. European Journal of Human Genetics.
- Zhumadilova et al. (2024) — Y-Chromosomal insights into the paternal genealogy of the Kerey tribe. PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309080.