Description
R1b-L51 is the immediate ancestor of the primary Western European paternal lineages. While its parent L23 was dominant in the Pontic steppe, L51 represents the branch that migrated westward into the Danube valley and Central Europe. This clade underwent a severe bottleneck before expanding explosively with the Bell Beaker culture, eventually leading to the lineages that account for the majority of men in Western Europe today.
Interesting Fact
L51 marks the genetic 'frontier' of the R1b expansion into Europe; it is rare in the east but becomes nearly universal in the west through its descendant L11.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Europeans | Western Europe | — |
Tags
References
- Myres et al. (2011) — A major Y-chromosome haplogroup R1b Holocene era founder effect in Central and Western Europe. European Journal of Human Genetics.