Croatian Origin & History

[Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić]

Prehistoric Y-DNA
In the 2014 study, of the three successfully generated SNP profiles of Neolithic Starčevo culture samples from Vinkovci, two belonged to Y-DNA haplogroup G2a-P15 and one to I2a1-P37.2, which could indicate G2a as potential representatives of the spread of farming from the Near East to Europe, while I2a as Mesolithic substratum in Europe.[15]

In the 2018 study, 10 out of 17 samples from Croatia had a successful Y-DNA sequencing; two Croatia Cardial Neolithic (6005-5786 BCE) samples from Zemunica Cave belonged to C1a2 and E1b1b1a1b1, Early-Neolithic Starčevo (5837-5659 BCE) from Beli Manastir-Popova zemlja to C, Early-Neolithic Croatia Impressa (5641-5560 BCE) from Kargadur to G2a2a1, two Middle-Neolithic Sopot (5207-4546 BCE) samples from Osijek to G2a2a1 and J2a1, Late-Neolithic Sopot (4790-4558 BCE) from Beli Manastir-Popova zemlja to I, two Vučedol (2884-2582 BCE) samples from Beli Manastir-Popova zemlja and Vucedol Tell to R1b1a1a2a2 and G2a2a1a2a, and the Early-Middle Bronze Age (1631-1521 BCE) sample from Veliki Vanik belonged to J2b2a.[16]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_studies_on_Croats

[Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić]

Medieval mtDNA
The 2011 mtDNA study on 27 early medieval skeletal remains in Naklice near Omiš in Southern Dalmatia showed that 67% belonged to haplogroup H, 18% to J, 11% to U5, and 4% to HV.[22] The 2015 mtDNA study on medieval skeletal remains in Šopot (14th-15th century) and Ostrovica (9th century) in Northern Dalmatia confirmed that profiles inherited by the maternal line differed neither between Ostrovica and Šopot site nor between medieval and modern populations, showing the same haplogroup prevalence (H, J, U) in both medieval and contemporary populations.[23] The 2014 study of a male skeleton found in Split from Late Roman Period (dated 1760±80 YBP) showed that belonged to haplogroup H.[24]

Prehistoric mtDNA
In the 2014 Y-DNA and mtDNA study, one Mesolithic sample dated 6080-6020 BCE from Vela Spila near Vela Luka on island Korčula belonged to mtDNA haplogroup U5b2a5 common in hunter-gatherer communities, while other eleven Neolithic Starčevo culture samples dated circa 6000–5400 BCE from Vinkovci were assigned haplogroups J1c, K1a, T2b, HV0, K, V, V6, which reveal similar mtDNA diversity and shared ancestry in early farming populations from the Pannonian Basin and the populations of the Central European LBK, accompanied by a reduction of the Mesolithic mtDNA substratum.[15]

Preliminary results from 2016 mtDNA study, which will approximately include 30 samples from Neolithic and 5 samples from Early to Late Bronze Age, on 5 ancient Croatian petrous bones (3 Neolithic Cardial Impresso from Zemunica Cave near Bisko, 1 Middle Neolithic Danilo culture from Zidana Cave near Staničići Žumberački, 1 Mid/Late Bronze Age from Jazinka Cave near Nečven) indicated mtDNA haplogroups K2 and K1b1a, H1e/H41, H1b for Neolithic samples similar to Early European Farmers and modern Sardinians and Southern Europeans, while haplogroup HV or H4 for Bronze Age sample similar to modern day Croatian and Balkan population, but without clear evidence for connection with the Indo-European migration.[25]

The 2018 study which included 17 samples from Croatia; Mesolithic (7308-7027 BCE) from Vela Spila to U5b2b, three Croatia Cardial Neolithic (6005-5751 BCE) samples from Zemunica Cave to H1, K1b1a and N1a1, Early-Neolithic Starčevo (5837-5659 BCE) from Beli Manastir-Popova zemlja to U8b1b1, two Early-Neolithic Croatia Impressa (5670-5560 BCE) samples from Kargadur to H5a and H7c, two Middle-Neolithic Sopot (5207-4546 BCE) samples from Osijek to U5a1a2 and H10, two Late-Neolithic Sopot (4790-4536 BCE) samples from Beli Manastir-Popova zemlja to U5b2b and N1a1, Eneolithic (3710-3360 BCE) from Radovanci to J1c2, three Vučedol (3000-2582 BCE) samples from Beli Manastir-Popova zemlja and Vucedol Tell to T2e, T2c2 and U4a, Early-Middle Bronze Age (1631-1521 BCE) from Veliki Vanik to I1a1, and the Late Bronze Age (805-761 BCE) sample from Jazinka Cave belonged to HV0e.[16]

[Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić]

Genetically, on the paternal Y chromosome line, a majority (>85%) of male Croats from Croatia belong to one of the three major European Y-DNA haplogroups - I (38%[4][5][6]-44%[7]), R1a (27%[7]-34%[4][5][6]) and R1b (12.4%[7]-15%[4][5][6]), while a minority (>15%) mostly belongs to haplogroup E (9%[7]), and others to haplgroups J (4.4%[7]), N (2%[7]), and G (1%[7]).


Haplogroup I among Croats from Croatia is divided in two major subdivisions - subclade I2 (35%), typical for the populations of eastern Adriatic and the Balkans, and I1 (9%), typical for the populations of Scandinavia.[7] From the I2 subclade, the most prevailing is I2a1 (I-P37.2) i.e. its subclade I2a1b-M423 which is typical of the South Slavic populations of south-eastern Europe, being highest in Bosnia-Herzegovina (>50%).[6] In Croatia the highest frequency is observed in Dalmatia, peaking in cities of Dubrovnik (53%) and Zadar (60%),[8] as well southern islands of Vis (44.6%),[8] Brač and Korčula (~55%), and Hvar (65%).[7] The frequency is lower in the town of Osijek (27.6%) on the banks of the river Drava, in the western mountainous Žumberak region (18.2%),[8] and in the northern islands of Cres (3%) and Krk (27%).[7][4] The highest frequency of the haplogroup is found in Bosnian-Croats from Herzegovina (73%).[7] The subclade I1 was not found in Osijek and Bosnian Croats,[7] but peaked at 8.9% in Dubrovnik.[8] The population with haplogroup I migrated to Europe from the Middle East, approximately 25,000-13,000 years ago. It represents the Paleolithic and Mesolithic population of hunter gatherers. The subclade's I-P37.2 very high frequency in the Western Balkans diminishes in all directions.[1][8] However, in comparison to older research which argued a prehistoric autochthonous origin of the haplogroup I-P37 in Croatia,[nb 1] the most recent research by O.M. Utevska (2017) found the haplogroups STR haplotypes have the highest diversity in Ukraine, with ancestral STR marker result "DYS448=20" comprising "Dnieper-Carpathian" cluster, while younger derived result "DYS448=19" comprising the "Balkan cluster" which is predominant among the South Slavs.[14] The clusters divergence and gradual expansion from the Carpathians in the direction of the Balkan peninsula happened approximately 2,860 ± 730 years ago, coinciding with the Slavic migration. The lack of diversity of "DYS448=19" haplotypes in the Western Balkan also indicate a founder effect.[14]

R1a1a1-M17 and Haplogroup R1b are the second (34%) and the third (15.6%) most prevailing haplogroups according to the investigation done in 2003.[4]