Description
Haplogroup T2b is the most common subclade of T2 in Europe and one of the defining maternal lineages of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) culture — the first Neolithic farming culture of Central Europe (~5500–4500 BCE). T2b was introduced into Europe by farmers migrating from Anatolia and the Near East and subsequently became widespread across the continent, especially in Central and Northern Europe. It remains one of the most common T subclades found in modern European populations.
Interesting Fact
T2b is among the haplogroups overrepresented in ancient DNA from LBK Neolithic sites relative to modern Europeans, indicating that subsequent Bronze Age migrations from the Steppe (Yamnaya/Corded Ware) partially replaced the original Neolithic European gene pool — yet T2b still survived in significant numbers among modern Europeans.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germans | Central Europe | n=500 | |
| British | Northwestern Europe | n=600 | |
| Czechs | Central Europe | n=250 | |
| Swedes | Northern Europe | n=350 | |
| Poles | Eastern Europe | n=350 |
Tags
References
- Haak et al. (2010) — Ancient DNA from European early Neolithic farmers reveals their Near Eastern affinities. PLOS Biology 8(11), e1000536.
- Brandt et al. (2013) — Ancient DNA reveals key stages in the formation of central European mitochondrial genetic diversity. Science 342(6155), 257–261.