Haplogroup K or K-M9 is a
human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup
In human genetics, a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by mutations in the non- recombining portions of DNA from the male-specific Y chromosome (called Y-DNA). Many people within a haplogroup share similar numbers of ...
. A sublineage of
haplogroup IJK
Haplogroup IJK is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. IJK is a primary branch of the macrohaplogroup HIJK. Its direct descendants are haplogroup IJ and haplogroup K.
Distribution and structure
The basal paragroup HIJK* has been found in a Meso ...
, K-M9, and its descendant clades represent a geographically widespread and diverse haplogroup. The lineages have long been found among males on every continent except
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
.
The direct descendants of K-M9 are
Haplogroup K2
Haplogroup K2, also known as K-M526 and formerly known as K(xLT) and MNOPS, is a human Y-DNA haplogroup.
Relative to its age, the internal structure of K2 is extremely complex, and subclades of it are carried by males native to regions inclu ...
(formerly KxLT; K-M526) and
Haplogroup K1 (L298 = P326, also known as LT).
Origins and distribution
Y-DNA haplogroup K-M9 is an old lineage that arose approximately 47,000-50,000 years ago,
probably in
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
According to a study by geneticist
Spencer Wells
Spencer Wells (born April 6, 1969) is an American geneticist, anthropologist, author and entrepreneur. He co-hosts The Insight podcast with Razib Khan. Wells led The Genographic Project from 2005 to 2015, as an Explorer-in-Residence at the N ...
, haplogroup K, from which haplogroup P descend, originated in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
or
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...
. It is likely that haplogroup P diverged somewhere in South Asia into P1, which expanded into Siberia and Northern Eurasia, and into P2, which expanded into Oceania and Southeast Asia.
[ "Given the widespread distribution of K, it probably arose somewhere in the Middle East or Central Asia, perhaps in the region of Iran or Pakistan."]
Basal K* is exceptionally rare and under-researched; while it has been reported at very low frequencies on many continents it is not always clear if the examples concerned have been screened for subclades.
Confirmed examples of K-M9* now appear to be most common amongst some populations in
Island South East Asia
Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. Maritime Southeast Asia is sometimes also referred to as Island Southeast Asia, Insular Southeast Asia or Oceanic Sout ...
and
Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, V ...
.
Primary descendants of haplogroup LT are
L (M20), also known as K1a, and
T (M184), also known as K1b.
[''International Society of Genetic Genealogy'', 2020, ''Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree 2019-2020''](_blank)
(8 May 2020).
The descendants of haplogroup K2 include:
*
K2a (detected in paleolithic specimens Oase1 and Ust'-Ishim),
[G. David Poznik et al., 2016]
"Punctuated bursts in human male demography inferred from 1,244 worldwide Y-chromosome sequences", ''Nature Genetics''
no. 48, pp. 593–599. (24 March 2017) the subclades of which include the major haplogroups
N and
O,
and;
*
K2b – the ancestor of haplogroups
M,
P,
Q,
R,
S.
Structure
;Haplogroup K-M9 tree
References
External links
Spread of Haplogroup K from ''
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widel ...
''
{{Y-DNA
K-M9