Aka (BiAka) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Central African Republic · Sub-Saharan Africa
The Aka, or BiAka, are forest foragers of the southwestern Central African Republic and the northern Republic of the Congo, known for net hunting and for a rich vocal polyphony that UNESCO recognises as intangible cultural heritage. Their 100.0% share of Western rainforest forager ancestry is built in, because the BiAka average serves as that component's reference in our global model. Elsewhere, this reference picks up forager-related ancestry in many Bantu-speaking peoples, around 10% in the Kongo (10.1%), the Sotho (9.7%) and the Cameroonian Bantu (9.3%). Unlike the Mbuti of the eastern forest, whose nearest neighbour is far, the BiAka belong to a clear western cluster: the Baka of Cameroon and Gabon (0.0463), then the Bakola and Bedzan, while the Twa of Uganda are much further (0.2165). The closest ancient groups are people buried at Shum Laka in western Cameroon about 3,000 and 8,000 years ago (0.1383 and beyond).
- Reference population for the Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) component in our model (100.0% by construction)
- Closest modern population in our data: Baka, distance 0.0463
- Closest ancient group in our data: Cameroon Shum Laka 3000BP, distance 0.1383
Aka (BiAka) is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Aka (BiAka) individuals sampled in Central African Republic, listed in the G25 sheet as "Biaka". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Aka (BiAka) average
Aka (BiAka) is itself one of the reference populations of this model: the Aka (BiAka) average is what the model uses for the Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) component, so it comes out as 100.0% Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) by construction. That figure says nothing about how old, how mixed or how uniform Aka (BiAka) ancestry is; it only shows where the model's yardstick for this part of the world comes from.
The informative part of this page is the comparison below: which modern populations and which ancient genomes sit closest to the Aka (BiAka) average.
Closest modern populations to Aka (BiAka)
Genetically, the Aka (BiAka) average sits nearest to Baka at 0.046, Bakola at 0.074 and Bedzan at 0.092. On our scale, a distance of 0.046 counts as close. By the tenth closest (Xhosa) the distance grows to 0.257, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baka | 0.0463 | Close |
| 2 | Bakola | 0.0742 | Moderate |
| 3 | Bedzan | 0.0922 | Distant |
| 4 | Twa (Uganda) | 0.2165 | Distant |
| 5 | ||Xegwi | 0.2356 | Distant |
| 6 | Hai||om | 0.2438 | Distant |
| 7 | Sotho (South Africa) | 0.2489 | Distant |
| 8 | Tswana | 0.2539 | Distant |
| 9 | Sotho | 0.2555 | Distant |
| 10 | Xhosa | 0.2569 | 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 Aka (BiAka)
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Aka (BiAka) average is Cameroon Shum Laka 3000BP (c. 1050 BC), at 0.138, followed by Cameroon Shum Laka 3000BP and Cameroon Shum Laka 8000BP. 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 | Cameroon Shum Laka 3000BP | c. 1050 BC | 0.1383 |
| 2 | Cameroon Shum Laka 3000BP | c. 1050 BC | 0.1397 |
| 3 | Cameroon Shum Laka 8000BP | c. 6050 BC | 0.1662 |
| 4 | Cameroon Shum Laka 8000BP | c. 6050 BC | 0.1675 |
| 5 | Malawi Fingira 6100BP | c. 4150 BC | 0.2325 |
| 6 | Malawi Fingira 2500BP | c. 550 BC | 0.2347 |
| 7 | Malawi Hora 14000BP | c. 12050 BC | 0.2359 |
| 8 | Malawi Chencherere 5200BP | c. 3250 BC | 0.2410 |
| 9 | Malawi Hora 8100BP | c. 6150 BC | 0.2415 |
| 10 | Botswana Xaro 1400BP | c. 550 AD | 0.2440 |
Compare yourself with Aka (BiAka)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Aka (BiAka) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Aka (BiAka) 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 Aka (BiAka). 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 Aka (BiAka) 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 Sub-Saharan Africa
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Aka (BiAka)?
Aka (BiAka) is itself one of the reference populations of our make-up model: the Aka (BiAka) average is what the model uses for the Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) component, so its make-up is Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) by construction. The closest modern and ancient populations on this page describe it better than that figure.
Which populations are genetically closest to Aka (BiAka)?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Aka (BiAka) average are Baka, Bakola and Bedzan. The closest ancient matches are Cameroon Shum Laka 3000BP, Cameroon Shum Laka 3000BP and Cameroon Shum Laka 8000BP.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Aka (BiAka)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Aka (BiAka) 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 Aka (BiAka) ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Aka (BiAka) 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.