Afar DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Ethiopia and Djibouti · Sub-Saharan Africa
The Afar live in the hot lowlands of the Afar Triangle, where Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti meet, including the Danakil Depression, one of the lowest and hottest places on Earth. The region is also famous for hominin fossils such as Lucy, found at Hadar in 1974. The Afar are traditionally pastoral nomads and speak Afar, a Cushitic language related to Somali and Oromo. In our model, the Afar average is 52.5% Natufian, 42.2% Nilotic East African, 3.5% Iranian Neolithic and 1.8% Caucasus hunter-gatherer. Despite the shared Cushitic branch, these numbers are much closer to the Semitic-speaking Amhara (52.3% Natufian, 42.4% Nilotic) than to the Somali (44.0% Natufian), and the neighbours agree: the closest modern averages are Amhara samples (0.0112 and 0.0126), another Afar sample, Eritrean Tigrinya speakers and Tigrayans. Ancient matches mix the Nile and the Rift Valley: medieval Kulubnarti in Sudan (0.0372) and Kenya's Early Pastoral Neolithic (0.0393).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 52.5%, Nilotic East African 42.2%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 3.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Amhara (other sample set), distance 0.0112
- Closest ancient group in our data: Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R, distance 0.0372
Where does Afar DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Afar individuals sampled in Ethiopia and Djibouti, listed in the G25 sheet as "Ethiopian_Afar" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Afar average
The ancient make-up of the Afar average is led by Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (52.5%), followed by Nilotic East African (42.2%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (3.5%). The Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) component reflects the early farmers of the Levant and the Natufian foragers who came before them. The Nilotic East African share (42.2%) reflects ancestry found in East African populations.
Smaller traces of Iranian Neolithic farmers and Caucasus 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 0.046), 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.
Sankofa – African Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Afar
Genetically, the Afar average sits nearest to Amhara (other sample set) at 0.011, Afar (Ethiopia) at 0.011 and Amhara at 0.013. On our scale, a distance of 0.011 counts as very close. Even the tenth closest, Beja (Hadendowa), is only 0.029 away: Afar belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amhara (other sample set) | 0.0112 | Very close |
| 2 | Afar (Ethiopia) | 0.0114 | Very close |
| 3 | Amhara | 0.0126 | Very close |
| 4 | Eritrean (Tigrinya) | 0.0139 | Very close |
| 5 | Tigrayan | 0.0150 | Very close |
| 6 | Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish) | 0.0173 | Very close |
| 7 | Ethiopian (Agaw) | 0.0178 | Very close |
| 8 | Saho (Eritrean) | 0.0213 | Very close |
| 9 | Eritrean | 0.0248 | Very close |
| 10 | Beja (Hadendowa) | 0.0290 | Close |
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 Afar
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Afar, Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD) comes first, at 0.037, with Kenya Early Pastoral N next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. 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 | Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0372 |
| 2 | Kenya Early Pastoral N | Neolithic | 0.0393 |
| 3 | Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti S | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0421 |
| 4 | Kenya Pastoral N Elmenteitan | Neolithic | 0.0792 |
| 5 | Tanzania Pastoral N | Neolithic | 0.0818 |
| 6 | Kenya Pastoral N Hyrax Hill 2300BP | c. 350 BC | 0.0824 |
| 7 | Kenya Pastoral N | Neolithic | 0.0908 |
| 8 | Tanzania Luxmanda 3000BP | c. 1050 BC | 0.0965 |
| 9 | Kenya Pastoral N Lukenya Hill 3500BP | c. 1550 BC | 0.1035 |
| 10 | Kenya Pastoral N Molo Cave 1500BP | c. 450 AD | 0.1279 |
Ancient DNA from Ethiopia
Our ancient DNA database holds 1 individual excavated in present-day Ethiopia. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are E1b (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are L3 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Afar population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| E1b | 1 | I5950 |
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| L3 | 1 | I5950 |
Ancient DNA studies on Ethiopia
- Evidence of the interplay of genetics and culture in Ethiopia (2021)
- Structure and ancestry patterns of Ethiopians in genome-wide autosomal DNA (2021)
- West Asian sources of the Eurasian component in Ethiopians: a reassessment (2019)
- Ancient Ethiopian genome reveals extensive Eurasian admixture in Eastern Africa (2015)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 1 from Ethiopia.
Compare yourself with Afar
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Afar average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Afar 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
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Afar individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Afar. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
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 Afar average. Your own DNA has its own story: Sankofa – African Ancestry Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of predominantly Sub-Saharan African (SSA) ancestry: modelling against 230+ regional African populations (West, Central, East & Southern Africa, the Horn of Africa, Madagascar) plus the European, Amerindian and...
More populations from Sub-Saharan Africa
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Afar?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Afar average is about 52.5% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant), 42.2% Nilotic East African and 3.5% Iranian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Afar?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Afar average are Amhara (other sample set), Afar (Ethiopia) and Amhara. The closest ancient matches are Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R, Kenya Early Pastoral N and Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti S.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Afar?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Afar 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 Afar ancestry?
Sankofa – African Ancestry Report is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Afar average closely. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
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.