Here is the new map of mt-haplogroup I.
It's impossible to attribute an ethnic origin to the whole of haplogroup I as it is divided in 6 main branches and many subclades, which have a very different geographic distribution.
Subclades
- I1a is found in Central and Eastern Europe, in the Caucasus and in the British isles. I1a1a seem to be found almost exclusively among the Finns. I1b has been found in Sweden, Poland and Kurdistan. I1c is an Ashkenazi subclade. IMHO, The I1 branch is of Balto-Slavic origin and linked to Y-haplogroup R1a. The Ashkenazi subclade may either be Levite (who are mostly R1a) or the result of intermarriages with Central Europeans.
- I2 is found in most of northern Europe, but also in the Caucasus and in Siberia. Some subclades could be Indo-European.
- I3 is found mostly in northwestern Europe (France, British Isles, and to a lower extent Italy and West Germany). Probably associated with the Proto-Italo-Celtic branch of the Indo-Europeans.
- I4a is scattered around all Europe, but is also found around the Black Sea, the North Caucasus, Iran and Siberia. It is probably Indo-European.
- I5a is found in most of southern and central Europe, but also in Turkey and the Arabian peninsula. It was either brought by Neolithic farmers to Europe, or brought by Indo-Europeans to the Middle East.
- I6 has been observed in Turkey and Sicily.
Incidence
The highest frequency of I observed to date is on the island of Krk on the north coast of Croatia, for which Pericic et al. (2005) reported 11.3% (n=133).
The highest frequencies are otherwise found among the Mordovians (5.9%) in the Volga-Ural, the Dargins (6.4%), Chechen-Ingush (5.7%) and Kumyks (5.3%) in the northeastern Caucasus, in Latvia (4.6%) and Finland (4.2%), in England (4%), Scotland (4.1%, but 6.5% in the Western Isles), West Ireland (5.5%), Cornwall (5.8%), Finistère (4.9%), Provence (Var department 5.4%), Lombardy (5.1%), the Latium (4.2%), and parts of Sicily (8.6% in Caccamo, 7.6% in Piazza Armerina, 7.1% in Ragusa).
Note also the oddly elevated percentages of I among the Kurds (3.4%) and the Druzes (3.4%), who once again distinguish themselves from their neighbours.
Unfortunately I don't have any data on the subclades in Egypt and Southwest Asia. I is also found around 1-2% in Central Asia, confirming the possibility of an Indo-European connection, but I also have no data on the subclades.
An Indo-European link
I have noted before that there was a link between mtDNA I and the diffusion of R1a and R1b in North and Central Asia. Haplogroup I (including about half of I1) has been found at lower frequencies among the Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uyghurs, Altai tribes, Xiongnu, Buryats, Mongolians and Tuva, among others. These populations all have in common the presence of haplogroup R1a and often also R1b. Haplogroup I1 has also been found on many sites from the Unetice culture, which yielded both Y-DNA R1a and R1b, as well as on Corded Ware sites, which are linked to R1a.
UPDATE: a detailed page about the origins, history, distribution and subclades of haplogroup I is now available here.
It's impossible to attribute an ethnic origin to the whole of haplogroup I as it is divided in 6 main branches and many subclades, which have a very different geographic distribution.
Subclades
- I1a is found in Central and Eastern Europe, in the Caucasus and in the British isles. I1a1a seem to be found almost exclusively among the Finns. I1b has been found in Sweden, Poland and Kurdistan. I1c is an Ashkenazi subclade. IMHO, The I1 branch is of Balto-Slavic origin and linked to Y-haplogroup R1a. The Ashkenazi subclade may either be Levite (who are mostly R1a) or the result of intermarriages with Central Europeans.
- I2 is found in most of northern Europe, but also in the Caucasus and in Siberia. Some subclades could be Indo-European.
- I3 is found mostly in northwestern Europe (France, British Isles, and to a lower extent Italy and West Germany). Probably associated with the Proto-Italo-Celtic branch of the Indo-Europeans.
- I4a is scattered around all Europe, but is also found around the Black Sea, the North Caucasus, Iran and Siberia. It is probably Indo-European.
- I5a is found in most of southern and central Europe, but also in Turkey and the Arabian peninsula. It was either brought by Neolithic farmers to Europe, or brought by Indo-Europeans to the Middle East.
- I6 has been observed in Turkey and Sicily.
Incidence
The highest frequency of I observed to date is on the island of Krk on the north coast of Croatia, for which Pericic et al. (2005) reported 11.3% (n=133).
The highest frequencies are otherwise found among the Mordovians (5.9%) in the Volga-Ural, the Dargins (6.4%), Chechen-Ingush (5.7%) and Kumyks (5.3%) in the northeastern Caucasus, in Latvia (4.6%) and Finland (4.2%), in England (4%), Scotland (4.1%, but 6.5% in the Western Isles), West Ireland (5.5%), Cornwall (5.8%), Finistère (4.9%), Provence (Var department 5.4%), Lombardy (5.1%), the Latium (4.2%), and parts of Sicily (8.6% in Caccamo, 7.6% in Piazza Armerina, 7.1% in Ragusa).
Note also the oddly elevated percentages of I among the Kurds (3.4%) and the Druzes (3.4%), who once again distinguish themselves from their neighbours.
Unfortunately I don't have any data on the subclades in Egypt and Southwest Asia. I is also found around 1-2% in Central Asia, confirming the possibility of an Indo-European connection, but I also have no data on the subclades.
An Indo-European link
I have noted before that there was a link between mtDNA I and the diffusion of R1a and R1b in North and Central Asia. Haplogroup I (including about half of I1) has been found at lower frequencies among the Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uyghurs, Altai tribes, Xiongnu, Buryats, Mongolians and Tuva, among others. These populations all have in common the presence of haplogroup R1a and often also R1b. Haplogroup I1 has also been found on many sites from the Unetice culture, which yielded both Y-DNA R1a and R1b, as well as on Corded Ware sites, which are linked to R1a.
UPDATE: a detailed page about the origins, history, distribution and subclades of haplogroup I is now available here.
Last edited: