Aeta (Ayta) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Philippines · Southeast Asia
The Aeta, or Ayta, live in the mountains of western and central Luzon, around Zambales, Bataan and Mount Pinatubo. They are one of the Philippine peoples grouped in the scientific literature as Negritos, who were in the islands long before Austronesian speakers arrived and later adopted Austronesian languages. In our model, the Aeta average is 66.1% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer, the Austronesian-related component, with 19.3% South Asian hunter-gatherer related and 11.5% Papuan and Near Oceanian. Those last two do not mean ancestry from India or New Guinea: our model has no Philippine Negrito reference, so it uses the nearest distant stand-ins for a deep, early Asian ancestry, and the tiny San (1.8%) and Western hunter-gatherer (1.2%) traces are model noise. Genetic studies also report that Philippine Negrito groups carry some of the highest Denisovan-related ancestry known in living people. The closest modern averages are the Agta of northeastern Luzon (0.0212) and the Mamanwa of Mindanao (0.04), other Negrito peoples.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 66.1%, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 19.3%, Papuan and Near Oceanian 11.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Agta, distance 0.0212
- Next closest modern population: Mamanwa, distance 0.0400
This page sums up what the DNA of the Aeta (Ayta) sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Philippines, listed in the G25 sheet as "Aeta", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Aeta (Ayta) average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Aeta (Ayta) average, 66.1%, goes to Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers, ahead of South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (19.3%) and Papuan and Near Oceanian (11.5%). The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia. The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) share (19.3%) reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Southern African foragers (San) and Western hunter-gatherers (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is loose (fit distance 0.047), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Closest modern populations to Aeta (Ayta)
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Agta first for Aeta (Ayta), at 0.021, then Mamanwa and Batak. By the tenth closest (Tahitian) the distance grows to 0.105, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agta | 0.0212 | Very close |
| 2 | Mamanwa | 0.0400 | Close |
| 3 | Batak | 0.0418 | Close |
| 4 | Bajo | 0.0895 | Distant |
| 5 | Kintaq | 0.1028 | Distant |
| 6 | Batek | 0.1038 | Distant |
| 7 | Jehai | 0.1043 | Distant |
| 8 | Kambera (Wunga) | 0.1044 | Distant |
| 9 | Mendriq | 0.1045 | Distant |
| 10 | Tahitian | 0.1046 | Distant |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Aeta (Ayta)
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Aeta (Ayta) average is French Polynesia 150BP (c. 1800 AD), at 0.092. China Guangxi MN Baojianshan and New Zealand Early-Late Modern Maori/Moriori come next. Even the best ancient match is distant, so the modern population is better described as a blend of several ancestral sources than as the continuation of one. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Polynesia 150BP | c. 1800 AD | 0.0917 |
| 2 | China Guangxi MN Baojianshan | Middle Neolithic | 0.0933 |
| 3 | New Zealand Early-Late Modern Maori/Moriori | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0934 |
| 4 | China Qihe N | Neolithic | 0.1045 |
| 5 | Indonesia Flores N-Proto-Metallic Liang Bua | Neolithic | 0.1098 |
| 6 | Indonesia Kayoa N Gua Uattamdi | Neolithic | 0.1114 |
| 7 | Indonesia Sulawesi Early-Late Modern Topogaro | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.1124 |
| 8 | China Longlin 10500BP | c. 8550 BC | 0.1146 |
| 9 | Indonesia Morotai EBA Aru Manara | Early Bronze Age | 0.1171 |
| 10 | China Qihe 11500BP | c. 9550 BC | 0.1179 |
Ancient DNA from Philippines
Our ancient DNA database holds 2 individuals excavated in present-day Philippines, dated from about 167 AD to 189 AD. The most frequent mtDNA haplogroups among them are B5 (1) and F1 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Aeta (Ayta) population.
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2 from Philippines.
Compare yourself with Aeta (Ayta)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Aeta (Ayta) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Aeta (Ayta) and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Aeta (Ayta). Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Aeta (Ayta) average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
More populations from Southeast Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Aeta (Ayta)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Aeta (Ayta) average is about 66.1% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers, 19.3% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) and 11.5% Papuan and Near Oceanian. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Aeta (Ayta)?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Aeta (Ayta) average are Agta, Mamanwa and Batak. The closest ancient matches are French Polynesia 150BP, China Guangxi MN Baojianshan and New Zealand Early-Late Modern Maori/Moriori.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Aeta (Ayta)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Aeta (Ayta) average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Aeta (Ayta) ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Aeta (Ayta) average closely, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.