Description
Haplogroup O2a2b1 (M134) is a major subclade of O2a2b found at high frequencies among Han Chinese, Tibetans, and several other Sino-Tibetan-speaking populations. Its M134 marker defines one of the most populous Y-chromosome lineages in Sino-Tibetan language family groups. O2a2b1 is found at significant frequencies across central, northern, and southwestern China, among ethnic Tibetans, Yi, Bai, Naxi, and other Tibeto-Burman groups, and among Korean and Japanese populations at lower frequencies. Its distribution closely correlates with the spread of Sino-Tibetan languages from the Yellow River valley, making it one of the strongest genetic markers of the Sino-Tibetan linguistic expansion.
Interesting Fact
O2a2b1 (M134) is found at ~25–30% among Tibetans, whose ancestors diverged from Yellow River valley populations approximately 5,000–6,000 years ago. This haplogroup thus connects modern Tibetan Buddhist monks in the high-altitude monasteries of the Himalayas with their lowland Chinese kin through a shared patrilineal lineage that predates the Tibetan plateau's settlement.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yi | Southwest China | n=200 | |
| Bai | Yunnan (China) | n=150 | |
| Tibetans | Central Asia / Himalayas | n=300 | |
| Han Chinese | East Asia | n=2000 | |
| Koreans | East Asia | n=600 | |
| Japanese | East Asia | n=1000 |
Tags
References
- Shi et al. (2005) — Y-chromosome evidence of earliest modern human settlement in East Asia. BMC Biology 3, 5.
- Zhong et al. (2011) — Extended Y chromosome investigation suggests postglacial migrations of modern humans into East Asia. Molecular Biology and Evolution 28(1), 717–727.
- Peng et al. (2014) — The deep population history of northern East Asia from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. Cell 162(1), 47–57.