Yukaghir DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Russia · Siberia
The Yukaghirs are one of the oldest peoples of northeastern Siberia, today a small community in the Kolyma and Indigirka basins, after centuries in which Even, Sakha and Russian expansion shrank their once vast range. Their languages, now spoken by only a few hundred people, form a small family that some linguists link distantly to Uralic. In our model, the Tundra Yukaghir average is 69.3% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related), 25.6% Ancient Northeast Asian, 4.1% Native American and 1.0% steppe. The small Native American-related share, absent from the Even and Evenks, points to the old population links between northeastern Siberia and the Americas across Beringia, and people of the Saqqaq culture of Greenland, whose roots lay in Siberia, also appear among the ancient matches. Pomazkino in Yakutia, a Late Neolithic site of the Ymyyakhtakh culture, provides the closest ancient group (0.0523). Among living peoples, the Evenks (0.0443) and the Even follow the other Yukaghir samples, then the Nganasan and Koryak.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 69.3%, Ancient Northeast Asians 25.6%, Native American (Paleo-American) 4.1%
- Closest other population in our data: Evenk (Zabaykalsky), distance 0.0443
- Closest ancient group in our data: Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino, distance 0.0523
Where does Yukaghir DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Yukaghir individuals sampled in Russia, listed in the G25 sheet as "Yukaghir_Tundra" 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 Yukaghir average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Yukaghir average, 69.3%, goes to Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related), ahead of Ancient Northeast Asians (25.6%) and Native American (Paleo-American) (4.1%). The Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) component reflects the ancestry of the peoples of northern Siberia. The Ancient Northeast Asians share (25.6%) reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Native American (Paleo-American) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (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 acceptable (fit distance 0.038): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. 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 Yukaghir
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Yukaghir average is Yukagir (Tundra), at a distance of 0.010 (very close). Next come Yukagir at 0.024 and Evenk (Zabaykalsky) at 0.044. By the tenth closest (Itelmen) the distance grows to 0.101, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yukagir (Tundra) | 0.0099 | Very close |
| 2 | Yukagir | 0.0235 | Very close |
| 3 | Evenk (Zabaykalsky) | 0.0443 | Close |
| 4 | Even | 0.0602 | Moderate |
| 5 | Evenk | 0.0608 | Moderate |
| 6 | Nganasan | 0.0861 | Distant |
| 7 | Nganassan | 0.0872 | Distant |
| 8 | Koryak | 0.0872 | Distant |
| 9 | Dolgan | 0.0980 | Distant |
| 10 | Itelmen | 0.1007 | 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 Yukaghir
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Yukaghir average is Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino (Late Neolithic), at 0.052. Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kamenka and Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kyordyughen 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 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino | Late Neolithic | 0.0523 |
| 2 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kamenka | Late Neolithic | 0.0588 |
| 3 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kyordyughen | Late Neolithic | 0.0601 |
| 4 | Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Chuiya | Late Neolithic | 0.0652 |
| 5 | Sakha MN Belkachi Ogonyok | Middle Neolithic | 0.0826 |
| 6 | Greenland Paleo-Eskimo Saqqaq | Paleo-Eskimo (Saqqaq), c. 2500-800 BC | 0.0901 |
| 7 | Krasnoyarsk EMBA Samus Tatarka | Early to Middle Bronze Age | 0.0937 |
| 8 | Krasnoyarsk BA Nefteprovod | Bronze Age | 0.0969 |
| 9 | Sakha EN Syalakh Kangalassy | Early Neolithic | 0.0975 |
| 10 | Irkutsk EBA Glazkovo Sosnovyi Mys | Early Bronze Age | 0.1009 |
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 Yukaghir 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 Yukaghir
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Yukaghir average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Yukaghir 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 Yukaghir individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Yukaghir. 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 Yukaghir 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 Yukaghir?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Yukaghir average is about 69.3% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related), 25.6% Ancient Northeast Asians and 4.1% Native American (Paleo-American). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Yukaghir?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Yukaghir average are Yukagir (Tundra), Yukagir and Evenk (Zabaykalsky). The closest ancient matches are Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Pomazkino, Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kamenka and Sakha LN Ymyyakhtakh Kyordyughen.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Yukaghir?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Yukaghir 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 Yukaghir ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Yukaghir ancestry, 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.