Description
Mitochondrial haplogroup U2e is a European and Central Asian subclade of U2 with a notable association with ancient steppe populations. Unlike the South Asian U2a and U2b subclades, U2e has a predominantly Eastern European and Steppe distribution. U2e has been identified in significant frequencies in ancient DNA from Yamnaya and other Bronze Age steppe cultures, positioning it as a marker of the Pontic Steppe people who expanded westward into Europe during the Early Bronze Age. In modern populations, U2e is found at 1–4% across Eastern Europe, the Volga-Ural region, and parts of Siberia, with lower frequencies in Western Europe.
Interesting Fact
Haplogroup U2e was found in notable frequencies among ancient Yamnaya individuals from the Pontic-Caspian steppe — the population credited with spreading Proto-Indo-European languages into Europe around 5,000 years ago. Its presence in modern Eastern Europeans and Siberians is partly a legacy of this massive Bronze Age migration from the steppe.
Distribution by Ethnicity
| Ethnic distribution | Region | Frequency | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bashkirs | Volga-Ural | n=200 | |
| Ukrainians | Eastern Europe | n=350 | |
| Russians | Eastern Europe | n=600 | |
| Poles | Eastern Europe | n=400 | |
| Lithuanians | Northern Europe | n=300 | |
| Germans | Central Europe | n=500 |
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References
- Haak et al. (2015) — Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe. Nature 522(7555), 207–211.
- Allentoft et al. (2015) — Population genomics of Bronze Age Eurasia. Nature 522(7555), 167–172.
- Balanovsky et al. (2011) — Two sources of the Russian patrilineal heritage in their Eurasian context. American Journal of Human Genetics 82(1), 236–250.