Male line information: Y-group I2
6.3% of deCODEme users are a member of this group.
All members of Y-group I2 can trace their Y-chromosomes back to one man who is thought to have lived about 15 thousand years ago, probably in Europe. This man belonged to a group of hunter-gatherers that may have sought refuge during the last Ice Age in the region now known as the Balkans. Later the descendants of this group spread eastward and westward in Europe, taking part in the recolonization of these regions following the retreat of the glaciers.
Today, members of Y-group I2 are mainly found in Europe, at an overall frequency of about 8 percent, and in parts of Asia, at a much lower frequency. Within Europe, the highest frequency of Y-group I2 members is in the Balkans and in Russia, where ranges between 20 and 40 percent. Members of I2 are found at lower frequencies among the populations of Iberia, France, Italy, the Canary Islands, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the British Isles.
Note that Y-group I2 was previously called I1b. The name was changed to accord with the latest developments in the scientific literature.