Haplogroup K-M9
Haplogroup K or K-M9 is a genetic lineage within human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. A sublineage of haplogroup IJK, 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.
The direct descendants of Haplogroup K1 and K-M9 are Haplogroup K2.
Origins and distribution
Y-DNA haplogroup K-M9 is an old lineage that arose approximately 47,000-50,000 years ago. Geneticist Spencer Wells had argued that because haplogroup K has a geographically wide distribution, the lineage probably originated near the central part of this range in the Middle East or Central Asia, possibly in 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 and Melanesia; it is also found in 2% of Italians, with frequencies reaching 8% among the Ladin people. K-M9* was also found in one individual from the Spanish province of Castellón with the surname Ferrer.
Primary descendants of haplogroup LT are L, also known as K1a, and T, also known as K1b.
The descendants of haplogroup K2 include:
- K2a, the subclades of which include the major haplogroups N and O, and;
- K2b – the ancestor of haplogroups M, P, Q, R, S.
Structure