Riffian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Morocco · North Africa
The Rif is the mountain chain along Morocco's Mediterranean coast, facing Spain across the Alboran Sea. Its people speak Tarifit, a Berber (Amazigh) language, and in the 1920s the region fought a famous war against Spanish colonial rule under Abd el-Krim. In our model, the Riffian average is 44.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 29.1% North African hunter-gatherer (Iberomaurusian), 9.4% steppe, 7.8% Natufian and 5.5% West African, with small Western hunter-gatherer, Iranian and Caucasus shares. Compared with Moroccan Arabs, Riffians carry more early farmer ancestry and about half the Natufian and West African shares. Their closest modern average is not a Moroccan sample but the Kabyles of Algeria (0.0096), another northern Berber-speaking mountain people, ahead of northern Moroccans, Chaouis (Shawiya) and Middle Atlas Berbers. The closest ancient group is very close indeed: Late Antique Guanches from the Canary Islands (0.0176), whose North African origins are well established, followed by later Guanche groups and Roman-era individuals with a North African profile.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 44.1%, North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) 29.1%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 9.4%
- Closest modern population in our data: Kabyle, distance 0.0096
- Closest ancient group in our data: Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche, distance 0.0176
Where does Riffian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Riffian individuals sampled in Morocco, listed in the G25 sheet as "Berber_Morocco_Riffian" 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 Riffian average
The ancient make-up of the Riffian average is led by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (44.1%), followed by North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) (29.1%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (9.4%). 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 (29.1%) reflects the Late Stone Age North Africans known from the Taforalt cave in Morocco.
Smaller traces of Western hunter-gatherers, Iranian Neolithic farmers and Caucasus hunter-gatherers (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 0.019), 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 Riffian
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Riffian average is Kabyle, at a distance of 0.010 (very close). Next come Moroccan (North) at 0.011 and Berber (Algeria Shawiya) at 0.013. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Kabyle (0.010), Moroccan (North) (0.011) and Moroccan (Arab-Berber) (0.018). By the tenth closest (Tunisian Arab) 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 | Kabyle | 0.0096 | Very close |
| 2 | Moroccan (North) | 0.0105 | Very close |
| 3 | Berber (Algeria Shawiya) | 0.0131 | Very close |
| 4 | Berber (Morocco Eastern Middle Atlas Tamazight) | 0.0137 | Very close |
| 5 | Moroccan (Arab-Berber) | 0.0177 | Very close |
| 6 | Moroccan Arab (Jebala Chefchaouen) | 0.0183 | Very close |
| 7 | Tunisian Berber (Tamezret) | 0.0209 | Very close |
| 8 | Tunisian Berber (Zraoua) | 0.0215 | Very close |
| 9 | Algerian Arab | 0.0281 | Close |
| 10 | Tunisian Arab | 0.0324 | 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 Riffian
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Riffian average is Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche (Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD), at 0.018, followed by Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche and Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche. 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 | Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0176 |
| 2 | Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0199 |
| 3 | Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0234 |
| 4 | Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0268 |
| 5 | Canary Islands Guanche | Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, before c. 1500 AD | 0.0269 |
| 6 | Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0271 |
| 7 | Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0292 |
| 8 | France Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Chausse Saint-Pierre (North African Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0325 |
| 9 | Spain Valencia Early Modern (North African Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0352 |
| 10 | Canary Islands Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Guanche | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0406 |
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 Riffian 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 Riffian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Riffian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Riffian 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 Riffian. 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 Riffian 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 Riffian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Riffian average is about 44.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 29.1% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 9.4% 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 Riffian?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Berber (Algeria Shawiya)), the closest modern populations to the Riffian average are Kabyle, Moroccan (North) and Moroccan (Arab-Berber). The closest ancient matches are Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche, Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche and Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Riffian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Riffian 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 Riffian ancestry?
For the Riffian 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.