Corsican DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · France · Southern Europe
Corsica, a mountainous island north of Sardinia, was ruled for centuries by Pisa and then Genoa before passing to France in 1768, and the Corsican language is close to the Tuscan dialects of Italy. Genetically, the island looks towards the Italian mainland rather than south. In our model, Corsicans are 64.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 28.4% steppe, 5.8% Western hunter-gatherer and 1.3% Iranian Neolithic. That is far more steppe than in Sardinia next door (4.9%), and close to the northern Italian pattern, with a somewhat higher farmer share than in Tuscany (59.2%). The closest modern average is the Ligurian-speaking community of Carloforte, on a small island off Sardinia (distance 0.0095), followed by Tuscans, Lombards and Ligurians from Val Borbera; a second Corsican sample, from Corse-du-Sud, only comes after them (0.0257). Among ancient samples, the best match is a Late Antique group with a Central Mediterranean profile buried in Hungary (0.0182), and Roman-era people from Zadar in Croatia are also close (0.0217).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 64.5%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 28.4%, Western hunter-gatherers 5.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: Italian (Carloforte, Ligurian), distance 0.0095
- Closest ancient group in our data: Hungary Late Antiquity Sarmatian/Hun (Central Med Profile), distance 0.0182
Corsican 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 Corsican individuals sampled in France. Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Corsican average
The ancient make-up of the Corsican average is led by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (64.5%), followed by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (28.4%) and Western hunter-gatherers (5.8%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (28.4%) reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC. 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 model fits well (fit distance 0.018), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander Report
Closest modern populations to Corsican
Genetically, the Corsican average sits nearest to Italian (Carloforte, Ligurian) at 0.010, Italian (Tuscany, Tuscan) at 0.018 and Lombard at 0.019. On our scale, a distance of 0.010 counts as very close. By the tenth closest (Vlach Aromanian (Greece)) the distance grows to 0.033, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian (Carloforte, Ligurian) | 0.0095 | Very close |
| 2 | Italian (Tuscany, Tuscan) | 0.0177 | Very close |
| 3 | Lombard | 0.0189 | Very close |
| 4 | Italian (Piedmont Val Borbera, Ligurian) | 0.0201 | Very close |
| 5 | Northern Italian | 0.0216 | Very close |
| 6 | Corsican (Corse-du-Sud) | 0.0257 | Close |
| 7 | Swiss (Italian) | 0.0265 | Close |
| 8 | Italian | 0.0288 | Close |
| 9 | Spanish (Baleares Menorca, Catalan) | 0.0323 | Close |
| 10 | Vlach Aromanian (Greece) | 0.0326 | 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 Corsican
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Corsican average is Hungary Late Antiquity Sarmatian/Hun (Central Med Profile) (Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD), at 0.018, followed by Hungary Early Medieval Lombard-Carolingian Period (North Adriatic Profile) and Croatia Roman Empire Zadar (Central Med Profile). 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 | Hungary Late Antiquity Sarmatian/Hun (Central Med Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0182 |
| 2 | Hungary Early Medieval Lombard-Carolingian Period (North Adriatic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0209 |
| 3 | Croatia Roman Empire Zadar (Central Med Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0217 |
| 4 | Slovenia Late Antiquity Emona (Central Med Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0227 |
| 5 | Hungary Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Avar Period (Central Med Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0235 |
| 6 | Italy Lazio Late Medieval Rome (Central Italian Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0237 |
| 7 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Isola Sacra (North Adriatic Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0241 |
| 8 | Croatia EIA Jazinka | Early Iron Age | 0.0242 |
| 9 | Hungary Early Medieval Lombard Period (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0244 |
| 10 | Italy Alto Adige Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Burgusio | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0247 |
Ancient DNA from France
Our ancient DNA database holds 1,113 individuals excavated in present-day France, dated from about 52,000 BC to 1821 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (163), I2a (144) and G2a (142), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are K1 (131), U5 (116) and H1 (104). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Corsican population.
Ancient sample data compiled by Nomad on the GenArchivist forum.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups in ancient samples from France
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups in ancient samples from France
Ancient DNA studies on France
- Ancient DNA Reveals Limited Hunter-Gatherer Ancestry in the Cerny Culture (Middle Neolithic, France) Despite Hunting-Associated Practices (2026)
- Population discontinuity in the Paris Basin linked to evidence of the Neolithic decline (2026)
- L’apport de la paléogénétique à la compréhension des populations de la fin de l’Antiquité et du début du Moyen Âge. L’exemple de la nécropole de la gare Saint-Laud à Angers (2025)
- Ancient DNA sheds light on the funerary practices of late Neolithic collective burial in southern France (2025)
- How local reference panels improve imputation in French populations (2024)
- Genomic ancestry and social dynamics of the last hunter-gatherers of Atlantic France (2024)
- Earliest evidence of human occupations and technological complexity above the 45th North parallel in Western Europe. The site of Lunery-Rosieres la-Terre-des-Sablons (France, 1.1 Ma) (2024)
- Late Neolithic collective burial reveals admixture dynamics during the third millennium BCE and the shaping of the European genome (2024)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 1,113 from France.
Compare yourself with Corsican
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Corsican average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Corsican 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 Corsican individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Corsican. 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.
Thanks: to Nomad (GenArchivist) for the population and ancient sample collection this atlas is built on, and to Davidski (Eurogenes) for Global25.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Corsican average. Your own DNA has its own story: Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander 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 Mediterranean-island ancestry: ancient regional core (Minoan, Mycenaean, Nuragic Sardinian, Phoenician, Sicani, Daunian) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 9 communities (Sicilian, Sardinian, Maltese...
More populations from Southern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Corsican?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Corsican average is about 64.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 28.4% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 5.8% Western hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Corsican?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Corsican average are Italian (Carloforte, Ligurian), Italian (Tuscany, Tuscan) and Lombard. The closest ancient matches are Hungary Late Antiquity Sarmatian/Hun (Central Med Profile), Hungary Early Medieval Lombard-Carolingian Period (North Adriatic Profile) and Croatia Roman Empire Zadar (Central Med Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Corsican?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Corsican 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 Corsican ancestry?
For the Corsican average, the regional report to choose is Thalassa – Mediterranean Islander Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. 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.