Male line information: Y-group E1b1a

All members of Y-group E1b1a can trace their Y-chromosomes back to one man who is thought to have lived about 25 thousand years ago, in Africa. This man belonged to a group of hunter-gatherers that were probably located in West Africa, after modern humans colonized Asia, Europe and other parts of the world.

About 5 thousand years ago, an agricultural revolution took place in West Africa, leading to a rapid wave of expansion of farmers, who spoke the so-called Bantu languages, to South, Central and parts of East Africa. It is thought that many of the males in these families were members of Y-group E1b1a. A result of this is that Y-group E1b1a is today the most common Y-group in Africa, being found in males all over the continent and in more than 70 percent of West African males. It is also the most common Y-group in African Americans, where just over 60 percent of males belong to Y-group E1b1a. Almost all members of Y-group E1b1a trace their recent ancestry through the male line to sub-Saharan Africa.

Note that Y-group E1b1a was previously called E3a. The name was changed to accord with the latest developments in the scientific literature.