Moroccan DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Morocco · North Africa
Morocco's genetic story starts very early. The North African hunter-gatherer reference in our model comes from Taforalt, a cave in northeastern Morocco used by Iberomaurusian foragers around 15,000 years ago, and this deep local layer still makes up 25.7% of the Moroccan average. Anatolian Neolithic farmers contribute 31.6%, in line with ancient DNA showing that farming groups from Europe and the Near East reached northwest Africa during the Neolithic. Near Eastern-related ancestry (15.9% Natufian, plus smaller Iranian and Levantine Neolithic shares) reflects contacts with the Near East over several periods, and the 14.1% West African component reflects long-standing ties across the Sahara. The closest modern averages are Moroccan Arabs from Casablanca and Zagora, Berbers from Gourara in Algeria, and Algerians. The closest ancient groups are the Guanches, the pre-Hispanic people of the Canary Islands, whose North African origins are well established, though at a moderate distance (0.0547).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 31.6%, North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) 25.7%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 15.9%
- Closest modern population in our data: Moroccan Arab (Casablanca), distance 0.0064
- Closest ancient group in our data: Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche, distance 0.0547
This page sums up what the DNA of the Moroccan sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Morocco, 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 Moroccan average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Moroccan average comes out as 31.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 25.7% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 15.9% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) share (25.7%) reflects the Late Stone Age North Africans known from the Taforalt cave in Morocco. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of Iranian Neolithic farmers and Levantine Neolithic farmers (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 model fits well (fit distance 0.017), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Tamazgha – North African Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Moroccan
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Moroccan Arab (Casablanca) first for Moroccan, at 0.006, then Moroccan Arab (Zagora) and Moroccan Arab. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Moroccan Arab (0.020), Berber (Algeria Gourara Timimoun) (0.020) and Algerian (0.024). By the tenth closest (Mozabite (other sample set)) the distance grows to 0.030, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moroccan Arab (Casablanca) | 0.0064 | Very close |
| 2 | Moroccan Arab (Zagora) | 0.0178 | Very close |
| 3 | Moroccan Arab | 0.0200 | Very close |
| 4 | Berber (Algeria Gourara Timimoun) | 0.0201 | Very close |
| 5 | Algerian | 0.0239 | Very close |
| 6 | Tunisian Arab (Jendouba) | 0.0267 | Close |
| 7 | Mauritanian (Beidane) | 0.0268 | Close |
| 8 | Berber (MAR ERR) | 0.0276 | Close |
| 9 | Berber (Morocco Central Atlas Tamazight Errachidia) | 0.0296 | Close |
| 10 | Mozabite (other sample set) | 0.0302 | 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 Moroccan
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Moroccan average is Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche (High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD), at 0.055. Canary Islands Guanche and Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile) come next. 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 | Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0547 |
| 2 | Canary Islands Guanche | Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, before c. 1500 AD | 0.0552 |
| 3 | Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0558 |
| 4 | Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0597 |
| 5 | Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (North African Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0620 |
| 6 | Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0636 |
| 7 | Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0640 |
| 8 | Canary Islands Late Medieval-Early Modern Guanche | Late Medieval to Early Modern, c. 1300-1800 AD | 0.0660 |
| 9 | Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0700 |
| 10 | Spain Madrid CA (North African Profile) | Copper Age (Chalcolithic) | 0.0707 |
Ancient DNA from Morocco
Our ancient DNA database holds 52 individuals excavated in present-day Morocco, dated from about 19,806 BC to 3,700 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are E1b (8), G2a (3) and T1a (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U6 (14), H (10) and K1 (3). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Moroccan population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Morocco
- Genomic history of Northwestern Africa, since the Iron Age (2026)
- Moroccan genome project: genomic insight into a North African population (2025)
- Moroccan genome project: Genomic insight into a North African population (2024)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 52 from Morocco.
Compare yourself with Moroccan
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Moroccan average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Moroccan 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 Moroccan individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Moroccan. 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 Moroccan average. Your own DNA has its own story: Tamazgha – North 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 with roots in North Africa: ancient regional core (Iberomaurusian and Taforalt, Neolithic farmers and Green Sahara herders, Numidians and Libyan natives, Carthage, Roman Africa, Vandal and Byzantine Africa, the...
More populations from North Africa
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Moroccan?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Moroccan average is about 31.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 25.7% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 15.9% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Moroccan?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Moroccan Arab (Casablanca)), the closest modern populations to the Moroccan average are Moroccan Arab, Berber (Algeria Gourara Timimoun) and Algerian. The closest ancient matches are Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche, Canary Islands Guanche and Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Moroccan?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Moroccan 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 Moroccan ancestry?
For the Moroccan average, the regional report to choose is Tamazgha – North African Ancestry 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.