Male line information: Y-group J

All members of Y-group J can trace their Y-chromosomes back to one man who is thought to have lived about 30 thousand years ago. This man belonged to a group of hunter-gatherers that were probably located in the Near East, after modern humans colonized Asia, Europe and other parts of the world. In the wake of the agricultural revolution about 10 thousand years ago, the descendants of Y-group J were key participants in the spread of farming communities throughout the Near East and from there into North Africa, Europe, Central Asia, Pakistan and India.

Today, the greatest concentration of Y-group J members is found in the Near East, North Africa, and Ethiopia, where up to 30 percent of males belong to this Y-group. The frequency of Y-group J members in Europe is much lower, or close to 3 percent. Members of Y-group J are relatively common among Jewish populations, where about 25 percent belong to this Y-group.