Yakut (Sakha) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Russia (Sakha) · Siberia
The Sakha, also known as Yakuts, live along the Lena River in the vast Sakha Republic of northeastern Siberia, where they kept horses and cattle far north of other herders. Sakha and the closely related Dolgan are the northernmost Turkic languages, and the Sakha arrival on the middle Lena is usually traced to a medieval migration from the Lake Baikal region. In our model, the Sakha average is 47.5% Arctic Siberian and 39.7% Ancient Northeast Asian, with several small shares. The fit (0.1341) is the roughest in our whole atlas, a sign of strong drift in a population thought to have grown from a small founding group. That drift shows in the neighbours: apart from another Sakha sample (0.0165), the closest modern average, the Dolgan, is already at 0.1044. The ancient record is more helpful: a High Medieval group from the Yana river in Sakha is close at 0.0302, while every other ancient group is beyond 0.11.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 47.5%, Ancient Northeast Asians 39.7%, East Asian 3.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: Sakha, distance 0.0165
- Closest ancient group in our data: Sakha High Medieval Yana, distance 0.0302
Where does Yakut (Sakha) DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Yakut (Sakha) individuals sampled in Russia (Sakha), listed in the G25 sheet as "Yakut" 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 Yakut (Sakha) average
The ancient make-up of the Yakut (Sakha) average is led by Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (47.5%), followed by Ancient Northeast Asians (39.7%) and East Asian (3.8%). The Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) component reflects the ancestry of the peoples of northern Siberia. The Ancient Northeast Asians share (39.7%) reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia.
Smaller traces of East Asian, Iranian Neolithic farmers, Caucasus hunter-gatherers 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 0.134), 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 Yakut (Sakha)
Genetically, the Yakut (Sakha) average sits nearest to Sakha at 0.017, Dolgan at 0.104 and Dukha at 0.127. On our scale, a distance of 0.017 counts as very close. By the tenth closest (Evenk) the distance grows to 0.134, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sakha | 0.0165 | Very close |
| 2 | Dolgan | 0.1044 | Distant |
| 3 | Dukha | 0.1266 | Distant |
| 4 | Todzin | 0.1286 | Distant |
| 5 | Todzhin | 0.1296 | Distant |
| 6 | Buryat (Aginsky) | 0.1311 | Distant |
| 7 | Tofalar | 0.1314 | Distant |
| 8 | Buryat (Zakamensky) | 0.1330 | Distant |
| 9 | Buryat (Duldurginsky) | 0.1337 | Distant |
| 10 | Evenk | 0.1342 | 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 Yakut (Sakha)
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Yakut (Sakha), Sakha High Medieval Yana (High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD) comes first, at 0.030, with Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle (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 | Sakha High Medieval Yana | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0302 |
| 2 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.1165 |
| 3 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle/Late (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.1223 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan IA Korgantas Shiderti | Iron Age | 0.1229 |
| 5 | Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.1233 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan IA Korgantas Karaoba | Iron Age | 0.1241 |
| 7 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Early (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.1243 |
| 8 | Xinjiang IA Pazyryk Tuwaxingcun | Iron Age | 0.1250 |
| 9 | Altai IA Kam-Tyttugem | Iron Age | 0.1272 |
| 10 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Avar Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.1279 |
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 Yakut (Sakha) 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 Yakut (Sakha)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Yakut (Sakha) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Yakut (Sakha) 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.
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About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Yakut (Sakha) individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Yakut (Sakha). 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 Yakut (Sakha) 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 Yakut (Sakha)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Yakut (Sakha) average is about 47.5% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related), 39.7% Ancient Northeast Asians and 3.8% East Asian. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Yakut (Sakha)?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Yakut (Sakha) average are Sakha, Dolgan and Dukha. The closest ancient matches are Sakha High Medieval Yana, Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle (Avar Profile) and Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle/Late (Avar Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Yakut (Sakha)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Yakut (Sakha) 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 Yakut (Sakha) ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Yakut (Sakha) 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.