Siberian ancestry map
Siberian (Nganasan) · Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia (modern reference)
How to read these maps: pale yellow means little or none of the selected ancestry, orange a medium share and deep red the highest values. Each dot is the average of a modern population: hover or tap it to see its numbers. Areas with no samples nearby stay blank.
Siberian (Nganasan)
Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia (modern reference)
Faded dots are populations the model fits less well: read their values with care. Click the map to zoom with your mouse wheel.
Who are the Nganasan?
The Nganasan are a small Samoyedic-speaking people of the Taymyr Peninsula, in the far north of Siberia, often described as the northernmost people of Eurasia. Traditionally they lived by hunting wild reindeer and fishing on the tundra.
In genetics the Nganasan are valued as a reference for a northern Eurasian ancestry that is old in Siberia and widespread among speakers of Uralic languages. Ancient DNA shows that this Siberian-related ancestry reached the far north of Europe by the Bronze Age, and it is still present in the Saami, Finns, Estonians, Mari, Udmurts and other Uralic-speaking peoples, as well as in northern Russians and in many Siberian and Central Asian groups.
Values on this map do not measure descent from the Nganasan themselves, but ancestry related to the deep Siberian population they best represent.
In our model, Siberian ancestry peaks today in Nganasan (Russia), at 99.0%, followed by Even (Russia) (86.3%) and Evenk (Russia) (85.0%). All ten highest values come from Russia. It reaches at least 5% in 280 of the 1,998 populations on the map, and at least 20% in 140 of them. On the world scale the colours run from 0 to 46.4%, the level reached by the top 2% of populations, so the deepest red marks the real hot spots.
Where Siberian ancestry peaks today
| # | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nganasan Russia | 99.0% |
| 2 | Even Russia | 86.3% |
| 3 | Evenk Russia | 85.0% |
| 4 | Evenk Zabaykalsky Russia | 84.7% |
| 5 | Yukagir Russia | 83.4% |
| 6 | Yukaghir Tundra Russia | 79.9% |
| 7 | Enets Russia | 77.0% |
| 8 | Nenets Forest Russia | 73.9% |
| 9 | Nenets Tundra Russia | 73.1% |
| 10 | Dolgan Russia | 71.9% |
Averages of modern populations, modelled with 17 reference sources. Tap a name to find it on the map.
The 17 ancestral sources
About these numbers
These maps show model estimates for population averages, not ethnic labels and not the result of any one person. Each source stands in for a wider ancestral population, and ancestries that have no source of their own in this set, such as Oceanian or Khoe-San ancestry, are absorbed by their closest relatives among the 17. Populations the model fits less well are shown with faded dots and count less in the colour surface.
Method: Each population average (Global25 coordinates) is modelled as a mix of 17 ancient and modern reference groups with non-negative least squares, shares adding up to 100%. Fit is the distance between the population and its best mix: the lower the better, above 0.06 the mix explains the population poorly. Top lists leave out the few populations these 17 groups cannot model at all (fit above 0.15). Data generated 1 October 2026, 1,998 populations on the map.
Keep exploring
For the full picture of one population, the Population Genetics Atlas has a page for each of hundreds of modern populations, with its ancient make-up and its closest modern and ancient neighbours.
Curious about your own DNA? The free Report Finder tests which of our reports fits your G25 coordinates, before you order anything.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Finns and Estonians show Siberian ancestry?
Ancient DNA shows that ancestry related to northern Siberian peoples reached the far north of Europe by the Bronze Age, possibly linked to the spread of Uralic languages. Finns, Estonians, the Saami and other Uralic-speaking peoples still carry a share of it.
Where is Siberian ancestry highest today?
In our model it is highest in Nganasan (Russia) (99.0%), Even (Russia) (86.3%) and Evenk (Russia) (85.0%). These are averages of modern populations modelled with 17 reference sources, so individuals within each population can differ.
How are these ancient ancestry maps made?
Each modern population average, taken from published G25 coordinates, is modelled as a mix of the same 17 ancient and modern reference sources with a non-negative least-squares fit, the same family of method our reports use. The map then interpolates the share of the selected source between the sampled places and leaves areas with no nearby samples blank.
Does a high value mean direct descent from these people?
No. Each source stands in for a broader ancestral population, and the 17 sources are fitted together, so closely related sources can trade shares between them. Read a value as how much of this kind of ancestry the model needs to describe a population average, not as a family tree.
Why are some areas of the map blank?
The colour surface is only drawn within a few hundred kilometres of real samples. Oceans and regions without data stay empty instead of showing invented values. Each dot on the map is a real population average.