Americas
Further information:
Genetic history of indigenous peoples of the Americas and
Y-DNA haplogroups in indigenous peoples of the Americas
Several branches of haplogroup Q-M242 have been predominant
pre-Columbian male lineages in
indigenous peoples of the Americas. Most of them are descendants of the major founding groups who migrated
from Asia into the Americas by crossing the
Bering Strait.
[3] These small groups of founders must have included men from the
Q-M346,
Q-L54,
Q-Z780, and
Q-M3 lineages. In North America, two other Q-lineages also have been found. These are
Q-P89.1 (under Q-MEH2) and
Q-NWT01. They may have not been from the Beringia Crossings but instead come from later immigrants who traveled along the shoreline of Far East Asia and then the Americas using boats.
It is unclear whether the current frequency of Q-M242 lineages represents their frequency at the time of immigration or is the result of the shifts in a small founder population over time. Regardless, Q-M242 came to dominate the paternal lineages in the Americas.
North America
In the indigenous people of North America, Q-M242 is found in
Na-Dené speakers at an average rate of 68%. The highest frequency is 92.3% in
Navajo, followed by 78.1% in
Apache,
[3] 87%
[3] in SC Apache,
[20] and about 80% in North American
Eskimo (
Inuit,
Yupik)–
Aleut populations. (Q-M3 occupies 46% among Q in North America)
[21]
On the other hand, a 4000-year-old
Saqqaq individual belonging to Q1a-MEH2* has been found in
Greenland. Surprisingly, he turned out to be genetically more closely related to Far East Siberians such as
Koryaks and
Chukchi people rather than Native Americans.
[22] Today, the frequency of Q runs at 53.7% (122/227: 70 Q-NWT01, 52 Q-M3) in
Greenland, showing the highest in east
Sermersooq at 82% and the lowest in
Qeqqata at 30%.
[12]
Q-M242 is estimated to occupy 3.1% of the whole US population in 2010:
[23]
