Description
Haplogroup C2b1a (C-M401) is the core Mongolic branch of C2b1 and the direct ancestor of the 'Star Cluster' (C2b1a1-F3918) associated with Genghis Khan and the Borjigin dynasty. C2b1a is strongly concentrated in Mongolia, among Buryats, and in the Mongolian-speaking populations of China (Inner Mongolia). It splits into two subclades: C2b1a1, the famous Star Cluster lineage that expanded explosively in the 13th century CE, and C2b1a2 (Z22424), a sister clade found among Mongolian populations that did not participate in the same founder effect. The MRCA of C2b1a lived approximately 4,000 BCE — several thousand years before Genghis Khan — indicating a deep prehistorical origin for Mongolic paternal lineages on the Mongolian plateau.
Interesting Fact
The extraordinary diversity within C2b1a reveals that the Mongolian plateau was home to a significant C2b1a-carrying population for thousands of years before Genghis Khan — the 13th-century explosion of C2b1a1 (Star Cluster) was not the origin of Mongolic lineages, but the final and most extreme episode in a long history of C2b1a dominance on the steppe.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buryats | Siberia | n=300 | |
| Mongols | East Asia / Central Asia | n=500 | |
| Inner Mongols | East Asia (China) | n=200 | |
| Hazara | Central Asia (Afghanistan) | n=150 | |
| Kazakhs (Mongolic clans) | Central Asia | n=300 |
Associated Clans & Tribes
Dynasty
House of Borjigin
Mongolia
Ruling clan of the Mongol Empire; C2b1a1 is proposed as their patrilineal marker
Tribe
Khalka Mongols
Mongolia
Dominant ethnic group of Mongolia; high C2b1a frequency
Tags
References
- Zerjal et al. (2003) — The Genetic Legacy of the Mongols. American Journal of Human Genetics 72(3), 717–721.
- Balaresque et al. (2015) — Y-chromosome descent clusters and male differential reproductive success. European Journal of Human Genetics 23, 1357–1362.