Buryat DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Russia (Buryatia) · Siberia
The Buryats live around Lake Baikal, in the Republic of Buryatia and neighbouring regions of Russia, with communities in Mongolia and China. They speak a Mongolic language closely related to Mongolian, and their culture combines Tibetan Buddhism with older shamanic traditions centred on Baikal. In our model, the Buryat average is 71.8% Ancient Northeast Asian, 15.0% Arctic Siberian, 10.6% steppe and 2.6% Iranian Neolithic. Next to the Mongolian average (71.1% Ancient Northeast Asian), it shows a much stronger Siberian pull (15.0% Arctic Siberian against 5.2%), fitting a homeland on the forest edge north of the steppe. The closest ancient group may surprise: Avar-period individuals buried in Austria (0.0248) and Hungary, whose elite came from the Mongolian steppe in the 6th century, alongside Early Medieval people from Mongolia itself. Among modern averages, after other Buryat samples, the closest are the Khamnegan, a Mongolic-speaking group of the Russia-Mongolia borderlands, and Mongols of Mongolia (0.0398).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Ancient Northeast Asians 71.8%, Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 15.0%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 10.6%
- Closest other population in our data: Khamnegan, distance 0.0267
- Closest ancient group in our data: Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Avar Profile), distance 0.0248
This page sums up what the DNA of the Buryat sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Russia (Buryatia), 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 Buryat average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Buryat average, 71.8%, goes to Ancient Northeast Asians, ahead of Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (15.0%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (10.6%). The Ancient Northeast Asians component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. The Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) share (15.0%) reflects the ancestry of the peoples of northern Siberia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Iranian Neolithic farmers (under 5%) 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 0.053), 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 Buryat
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Buryat (Zakamensky) first for Buryat, at 0.011, then Buryat (Aginsky) and Khamnegan. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Khamnegan (0.027), Mongol (Mongolia) (0.040) and Mongol (Oirat Olot Mongolia) (0.043). By the tenth closest (Tuvan) the distance grows to 0.054, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buryat (Zakamensky) | 0.0105 | Very close |
| 2 | Buryat (Aginsky) | 0.0126 | Very close |
| 3 | Khamnegan | 0.0267 | Close |
| 4 | Mongol (Mongolia) | 0.0398 | Close |
| 5 | Mongol (Oirat Olot Mongolia) | 0.0426 | Close |
| 6 | Mongol | 0.0435 | Close |
| 7 | Kalmyk | 0.0504 | Moderate |
| 8 | Kalmyk (Torgut) | 0.0533 | Moderate |
| 9 | Mongolian | 0.0536 | Moderate |
| 10 | Tuvan | 0.0542 | Moderate |
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 Buryat
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Buryat, Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Avar Profile) (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD) comes first, at 0.025, with Mongolia Early Medieval Zubu Period-2 (Turanian-Mixed Profile) next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. 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 | Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0248 |
| 2 | Mongolia Early Medieval Zubu Period-2 (Turanian-Mixed Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0257 |
| 3 | Kazakhstan Early Modern Mausoleum of Alasha Khan | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0266 |
| 4 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0266 |
| 5 | Xinjiang IA Pazyryk Tuwaxingcun | Iron Age | 0.0299 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan Late Medieval Golden Horde Mausoleum of Ayakkamir | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0318 |
| 7 | Kazakhstan Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Xianbei-Hun Gregorievka | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0327 |
| 8 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0332 |
| 9 | Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (Mongolic Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0334 |
| 10 | Mongolia Late Medieval Mongol Period (Turanian-Mixed Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0343 |
Ancient DNA from Russia
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,938 individuals excavated in present-day Russia, dated from about 208,050 BC to 1918 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1a (370), R1b (317) and N1a (235), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U5 (367), U4 (226) and U2 (150). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Buryat population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Russia
- The Yeniseian and Andronovo Substrates in the Gene Pools of the Indigenous Southern Siberian Populations Analyzed by Q and R1a Y-Haplogroups (2026)
- Ancient genomics study reveals low HLA diversity in eastern hunter-gatherers (2026)
- Comparison of Illumina NovaSeq 6000, GeneMind SURFSeq 5000, Salus Evo, and MGI DNBSEQ-G400 for Ancient DNA Whole-Genome Sequencing (2026)
- Biochip for Determination of 92 Human Y-Chromosome Haplogroups by SNP Markers and Frequency Distribution of These Haplogroups in Slavic Population of European Russia (2026)
- Modern descendants of Kyordyughen warrior (Yakutia, 4200 years before present) in populations of Far East (2026)
- Genetic history of Rus' (2025)
- Paratyphoid Fever and Relapsing Fever in 1812 Napoleon’s Devastated Army (2025)
- Pre-Slavic and Slavic Interaction at Eastern Periphery of Slavic Expansion in Northeastern Europe (Y-Gene Pools of Volga-Oka Region) (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,938 from Russia.
Compare yourself with Buryat
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Buryat average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Buryat 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 Buryat. 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 Buryat 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 Siberia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Buryat?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Buryat average is about 71.8% Ancient Northeast Asians, 15.0% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) and 10.6% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Buryat?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Buryat (Zakamensky)), the closest modern populations to the Buryat average are Khamnegan, Mongol (Mongolia) and Mongol (Oirat Olot Mongolia). The closest ancient matches are Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Avar Profile), Mongolia Early Medieval Zubu Period-2 (Turanian-Mixed Profile) and Kazakhstan Early Modern Mausoleum of Alasha Khan.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Buryat?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Buryat 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 Buryat ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Buryat ancestry, 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.