Tuvan DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Russia (Tuva) · Siberia
Tuva lies on the upper Yenisei in southern Siberia, a land of mountains, steppe and taiga on the border with Mongolia, and the Tuvans are famous worldwide for their throat singing. Tuvan is a Turkic language, though centuries of Mongol and Qing rule left a strong Mongolian imprint on Tuvan culture and Buddhism. In our model, the Tuvan average is 54.4% Ancient Northeast Asian, 27.5% Arctic Siberian, 12.2% steppe, 4.4% Ancient North Eurasian and 1.5% Anatolian Neolithic farmer. The Arctic Siberian share is much higher than among the Buryats (15.0%) or Altaians (12.1%), a reminder that Tuva's taiga borders the reindeer-herding north. The closest modern averages are the Mogush sample (0.0149), a Tuvan clan, then the Dukha, Tuvan-speaking reindeer herders of northern Mongolia, before Buryats and Todzhins. The ancient list opens with Xianbei-Hun people from Gregorievka in Kazakhstan, dated from Late Antiquity to the Early Medieval period (0.0387), ahead of Avar-period individuals from Hungary and Austria.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Ancient Northeast Asians 54.4%, Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 27.5%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 12.2%
- Closest modern population in our data: Mogush, distance 0.0149
- Closest ancient group in our data: Kazakhstan Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Xianbei-Hun Gregorievka, distance 0.0387
Where does Tuvan DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Tuvan individuals sampled in Russia (Tuva), listed in the G25 sheet as "Tuvinian" 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 Tuvan average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Tuvan average, 54.4%, goes to Ancient Northeast Asians, ahead of Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (27.5%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (12.2%). The Ancient Northeast Asians component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. The Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) share (27.5%) reflects the ancestry of the peoples of northern Siberia.
Smaller traces of Ancient North Eurasians and Anatolian 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 fit is loose (fit distance 0.053), 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 Tuvan
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Tuvan average is Mogush, at a distance of 0.015 (very close). Next come Dukha at 0.032 and Buryat (Zakamensky) at 0.053. By the tenth closest (Altaian (Kizhi)) the distance grows to 0.056, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mogush | 0.0149 | Very close |
| 2 | Dukha | 0.0319 | Close |
| 3 | Buryat (Zakamensky) | 0.0528 | Moderate |
| 4 | Todzhin | 0.0539 | Moderate |
| 5 | Buryat (Aginsky) | 0.0541 | Moderate |
| 6 | Buryat | 0.0542 | Moderate |
| 7 | Buryat (Irkutsk) | 0.0543 | Moderate |
| 8 | Todzin | 0.0548 | Moderate |
| 9 | Khamnegan | 0.0556 | Moderate |
| 10 | Altaian (Kizhi) | 0.0559 | Moderate |
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 Tuvan
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Tuvan, Kazakhstan Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Xianbei-Hun Gregorievka (Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD) comes first, at 0.039, with Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Avar Profile) 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 | Kazakhstan Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Xianbei-Hun Gregorievka | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0387 |
| 2 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0396 |
| 3 | Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0397 |
| 4 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0422 |
| 5 | Mongolia LBA DSKC Uvs | Late Bronze Age | 0.0460 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan Late Medieval Golden Horde Mausoleum of Bolghan Ana | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0464 |
| 7 | Mongolia Late Medieval Khitan Period (Turanian-Mixed Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0468 |
| 8 | Irkutsk ENMN Kachug | Early to Middle Neolithic | 0.0468 |
| 9 | Kyrgyzstan High Medieval Nomad | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0472 |
| 10 | Kazakhstan Late Medieval Golden Horde Mausoleum of Jochi Khan | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0473 |
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 Tuvan 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 Tuvan
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Tuvan average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Tuvan 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 Tuvan individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Tuvan. 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 Tuvan 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 Tuvan?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Tuvan average is about 54.4% Ancient Northeast Asians, 27.5% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) and 12.2% 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 Tuvan?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Tuvan average are Mogush, Dukha and Buryat (Zakamensky). The closest ancient matches are Kazakhstan Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Xianbei-Hun Gregorievka, Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Avar Profile) and Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Avar Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Tuvan?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Tuvan 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 Tuvan ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Tuvan average closely, 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.