Mozabite DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Algeria · North Africa
The Mozabites live in the M'zab valley in the northern Sahara of Algeria, around Ghardaia, in a group of fortified towns founded from the 11th century onwards. They speak Tumzabt, a Berber language, and follow Ibadi Islam, a branch distinct from both Sunni and Shia Islam. They are also the North African population of the widely used HGDP reference panel, so they appear in many genetic studies. In our model, the ancestry is 40.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 31.9% North African hunter-gatherer (Iberomaurusian), 10.3% West African, 7.9% Natufian, 7.2% steppe and 2.0% Caucasus hunter-gatherer. Compared with the Kabyles of the northern mountains, they carry more of the Iberomaurusian layer (31.9% against 27.7%) and more West African ancestry (10.3% against 6.5%), in keeping with their place on the Saharan routes. The closest modern averages are Moroccan Arabs, Middle Atlas Berbers from Errachidia, Tunisian Berbers and Algerians, while pre-Hispanic Guanches from the Canary Islands lead the ancient matches (0.0291).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 40.6%, North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) 31.9%, West African 10.3%
- Closest modern population in our data: Moroccan Arab, distance 0.0193
- Closest ancient group in our data: Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche, distance 0.0291
Where does Mozabite DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Mozabite individuals sampled in Algeria, listed in the G25 sheet as "Berber_Algeria_Mozabite" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Mozabite average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Mozabite average comes out as 40.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 31.9% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 10.3% West African. 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 (31.9%) reflects the Late Stone Age North Africans known from the Taforalt cave in Morocco.
Smaller traces of Caucasus hunter-gatherers (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 0.021), 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 Mozabite
Genetically, the Mozabite average sits nearest to Moroccan Arab at 0.019, Berber (Morocco Central Atlas Tamazight Errachidia) at 0.022 and Tunisian Berber (Matmata) at 0.023. On our scale, a distance of 0.019 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Moroccan Arab (0.019), Tunisian Berber (Matmata) (0.023) and Algerian Arab (Algiers) (0.024). By the tenth closest (Moroccan Arab (Errachidia)) the distance grows to 0.032, 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 | 0.0193 | Very close |
| 2 | Berber (Morocco Central Atlas Tamazight Errachidia) | 0.0219 | Very close |
| 3 | Tunisian Berber (Matmata) | 0.0233 | Very close |
| 4 | Algerian Arab (Algiers) | 0.0243 | Very close |
| 5 | Algerian | 0.0250 | Close |
| 6 | Mauritanian (Beidane) | 0.0257 | Close |
| 7 | Moroccan Arab (Casablanca) | 0.0264 | Close |
| 8 | Berber (Morocco Central Atlas Tamazight) | 0.0265 | Close |
| 9 | Moroccan | 0.0305 | Close |
| 10 | Moroccan Arab (Errachidia) | 0.0323 | 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 Mozabite
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Mozabite, Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche (High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD) comes first, at 0.029, with Canary Islands Guanche next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further 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 | 0.0291 |
| 2 | Canary Islands Guanche | Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, before c. 1500 AD | 0.0316 |
| 3 | Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0355 |
| 4 | Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0360 |
| 5 | Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0392 |
| 6 | Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0394 |
| 7 | Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (North African Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0469 |
| 8 | Canary Islands Late Medieval-Early Modern Guanche | Late Medieval to Early Modern, c. 1300-1800 AD | 0.0507 |
| 9 | Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0526 |
| 10 | Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0543 |
Ancient DNA from Algeria
Our ancient DNA database holds 13 individuals excavated in present-day Algeria, dated from about 11,550 BC to 152 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are E1b (2), G2a (1) and R1b (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are H (3), J1 (2) and H1 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Mozabite population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 13 from Algeria.
Compare yourself with Mozabite
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Mozabite average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Mozabite 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 Mozabite. 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 Mozabite 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...
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Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Mozabite?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Mozabite average is about 40.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 31.9% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 10.3% West African. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Mozabite?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Berber (Morocco Central Atlas Tamazight Errachidia)), the closest modern populations to the Mozabite average are Moroccan Arab, Tunisian Berber (Matmata) and Algerian Arab (Algiers). The closest ancient matches are Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche, Canary Islands Guanche and Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Mozabite?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Mozabite 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 Mozabite ancestry?
For the Mozabite 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.