Description

R1b-U152 is a major paternal lineage found predominantly in Central and Southern Europe. It is strongly associated with the Hallstatt and La Tène Celtic cultures, as well as the ancient Italic peoples, including the Romans. Its distribution peaks in Northern Italy, Switzerland, and Southern Germany. U152 followed the southward expansion of Indo-European speakers from the Alpine region into the Italian peninsula, where it became a foundational marker for the populations of the Roman Republic and Empire.

Interesting Fact

R1b-U152 is often called the 'Italo-Celtic' marker because its distribution closely matches the territories of both the early Celts and the Italic speakers. It has also been identified in ancient remains belonging to the House of Habsburg, the famous European royal dynasty.

Distribution by Ethnicity

Ethnic distributionRegionFrequencySample
Northern ItaliansSouthern Europe
40%
n=500
CorsicansSouthern Europe
35%
n=150
SwissCentral Europe
25%
n=400
French (East)Western Europe
20%
n=300
Southern GermansCentral Europe
15%
n=600

Tags

References

  1. Myres et al. (2011) — A major Y-chromosome haplogroup R1b Holocene era founder effect in Central and Western Europe. European Journal of Human Genetics.
  2. Posth et al. (2021) — The origin and legacy of the Etruscans. Science Advances.