Even DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Russia · Siberia
The Even, once called Lamuts, live in the far northeast of Siberia, from the Sea of Okhotsk and Kamchatka to the Kolyma and the mountains of Sakha. Their language is Tungusic, close to Evenki, and reindeer herding remains central to many Even communities. In our model, the Even average is 74.5% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) and 25.5% Ancient Northeast Asian, the highest Arctic Siberian share of any page besides the Nganasan reference itself, just above the Evenks (73.8%). The fit (0.0712) is rough, as is common for small, isolated Siberian populations. The neighbours follow geography: the closest modern averages are the Yukaghirs (0.0557 and 0.0602), long-time neighbours of the Even in the Kolyma and Indigirka basins, then the Evenks, while the Koryak of Kamchatka appear further down. No other Even sample sits in the top ten. The closest ancient group is Late Neolithic Ymyyakhtakh people from Pomazkino in Yakutia (0.0718).
- Ancient components in our model: Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 74.5%, Ancient Northeast Asians 25.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Yukagir, distance 0.0557
- Closest ancient group in our data: Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino, distance 0.0718
This page sums up what the DNA of the Even sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Russia, 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 Even average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Even average, 74.5%, goes to Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related), ahead of Ancient Northeast Asians (25.5%). The Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) component reflects the ancestry of the peoples of northern Siberia. The Ancient Northeast Asians share (25.5%) reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The fit is loose (fit distance 0.071), 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 Even
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Even average is Yukagir, at a distance of 0.056 (moderate). Next come Yukaghir at 0.060 and Evenk (Zabaykalsky) at 0.062. No modern population in the data is very close (the nearest is 0.056 away), which points to a distinctive genetic profile, often the mark of long isolation or of a mix that is rare elsewhere.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yukagir | 0.0557 | Moderate |
| 2 | Yukaghir | 0.0602 | Moderate |
| 3 | Evenk (Zabaykalsky) | 0.0616 | Moderate |
| 4 | Yukagir (Tundra) | 0.0663 | Moderate |
| 5 | Evenk | 0.0721 | Moderate |
| 6 | Nganasan | 0.0945 | Distant |
| 7 | Nganassan | 0.0968 | Distant |
| 8 | Koryak | 0.1257 | Distant |
| 9 | Evenk (Khabarovsk) | 0.1296 | Distant |
| 10 | Negidal | 0.1306 | 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 Even
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Even average is Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino (Late Neolithic), at 0.072, followed by Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kamenka and Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Chuiya. That is only a moderate match: part of the modern profile was already present then, but later movements of people added substantial 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 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino | Late Neolithic | 0.0718 |
| 2 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kamenka | Late Neolithic | 0.0810 |
| 3 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Chuiya | Late Neolithic | 0.0908 |
| 4 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kyordyughen | Late Neolithic | 0.0967 |
| 5 | Krasnoyarsk BA Nefteprovod | Bronze Age | 0.1192 |
| 6 | Krasnoyarsk EMBA Samus Tatarka | Early to Middle Bronze Age | 0.1221 |
| 7 | Sakha MN Belkachi Ogonyok | Middle Neolithic | 0.1361 |
| 8 | Greenland Paleo-Eskimo Saqqaq | Paleo-Eskimo (Saqqaq), c. 2500-800 BC | 0.1394 |
| 9 | Irkutsk EN Kitoi Popovskij | Early Neolithic | 0.1436 |
| 10 | Omsk BA Seima-Turbino Rostovka (East/Central Siberia BA Profile) | Bronze Age | 0.1449 |
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 Even 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 Even
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Even average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Even 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 Even individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Even. 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 Even 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 Even?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Even average is about 74.5% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) and 25.5% Ancient Northeast Asians. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Even?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Even average are Yukagir, Yukaghir and Evenk (Zabaykalsky). The closest ancient matches are Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino, Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kamenka and Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Chuiya.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Even?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Even 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 Even ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Even 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.