Haplogroup R1b-P312

How to get from R to the R1b-P312 branch in the phylogenetic tree is covered here. How to get from "Adam" to R is covered in the yDNA Groupings page before this one. How a Family Branch identifies with a Haplogroup lower than R1b-P312 is covered in that family's yDNA Groupings page.

R1b-P312 is a very large Haplogroup subclade containing most of the historical, ethnic "white" European males. In other words, it is still the main trunk of a large, towering sequoia tree. There are simply smaller, lower branches off this main trunk of the historically ancient haplogroups that branch before R1b-P312. For more information about the early , ancient branching, visit our yDNA Groupings page.

There is a lot of structure in the phylogenetic tree before the R1b-P312 branch. And just as much, if not more, after it. Due to this mid-point, there are many Family Branches in this project under this group (after this branch). This intermediate page exists to explain the phylogenetic tree and haplogroups, up to this point, in a single place. Thus trying to avoiding repeats in other yDNA Groupings pages. This is such a large and important branch, it has its own tree development project at ytree.

ISOGG has been restructuring their main tree in 2016 after it laid dormant for a few years. So even identifying the path to R1b-P312 from R is in flux after being stable for the last 5 years or so. As of May 2016, using the YCC long-hand nomenclature, R1b-P312 is identified as R1b-1a1a2a1a2. An extra two branch points were added in early 2016 (the first "1a"). There is major restructuring surrounding Haplogroup K and further down branch points such as LM; all that exist in the path before R. So we start from the main first-letter branch point R on this page. See the External Resources below for the earliest, most ancient branching in the phylogenetic tree from "Adam" to R. As well as explained on our yDNA Groupings page mentioned earlier.

Most are starting to use the YCC shorthand form to identify the branch point; and even to designate the path to it. The shorthand form is to simply list a single, main SNP that is derived (i.e. positive for change) value. An SNP value meaning an allele). Each haplogroup or branch point in the phylogenetic tree has at least one SNP allele associated with it; sometimes 30 or more. By using the short form or SNP designation, the branch path designation for unaffected areas does not change when whole sections of the tree are moved around. This is a severe limitation of the older YCC longhand form. Not to mention it can be tough to distinguish between important branch points such as R1b-1a1a2a1a2 versus R1b-1a1a2a1a1 ((R1b-P312 versus R1b-U106).

The YCC path designation, in longhand style, for R1b-P312 starting at R and taken from the ISOGG Tree on May 2016, shown along with the shorthand SNP notation of each branch point, is:
Each SNP in this "new", short-style SNP-name path corresponds with a letter or number in the name / path of the old-style, longhand designation still used by ISOGG.

Most retain the major branch letter (or 3 alphanumeric letters as in this case) before an SNP branch name just as a way to remind others of the major group it is in. So this page would be more properly R-P312. R1b itself, a path designation in the YCC longhand form, is more properly defined as R-M343 as seen in the above. But because R1b and R1a are such large, important branch points, we retain them as a top level family designation like I, J or similar. (In fact, we use I1 and I2 in this project as well.) Others simply use R or possibly R1. So R-P312, R1-P312 and R1b-P312 are all really designating the same branch point. And similar for any branch points below R1b-P312.

Each branch point often has many SNPs identified with it; sometimes ten to thirty. We list the most common or first used SNP to name the branch. In the case of the branch just above R1b-P312, there are many different SNPs still used to name that branch so we have listed several. Those are not designating aliases for a single SNP but are additional SNP's that are all part of that branch point. Just some have gotten used to using one SNP name where others have used a different one.

Most of the yDNA SNP testing results, even the minimal ones in AncestryDNA's test, cover key SNPs down to the R1b-P312 branch. So you can identify your line to this Haplogroup with most yDNA tests included in autosomal tests. Unfortunately, they may not provide this information on their website and you may have to download the RAW data file and do the analysis yourself (that is, for AncestryDNA). The test companies 23andMe and National Geographic Genographic Gene 2.0 (and Gene 2.0plus) go much deeper in the phylogenetic tree below this Haplogroup. Some yDNA STR test results can predict likely membership in this Haplogroup. Over 90% of European males are in the higher-up R1b (R1b-M343) subclade of the phylogenetic tree. With still over 50% in the R1b-1a1a2a1a-2 (R1b-P312) subclade described here.

Nearby Haplogroups

There are almost as many active family groups under this branch point as above it in the phylogenetic tree. There is one family branch parallel to R1b_P312 (that is, R1b-U106 or R1b-1a1a2a1a1). See the table of contents in the upper right of this page for the family branches below R1b-P312. While currently in flux, some of the (traditional) main branches just below R1b-P312 are R1b-DF27, R1b-U152, R1b-DF99, R1b-L21, R1b-L238, and R1b-DF19. Many of these have 20 or more haplogroups just one further level below them. When we see a crowded, somewhat in-transition tree structure like this, the STR haplotypes often have crowded match lists at 37 and even 67 markers. R1b-DF27 and R1b-DF19 are two examples of this. Testers in these branches often have to test 111 STR markers or more before they become distinguished from ancient, before surname "relatives".

Note: There has been a move since early 2016 to re-configure the top-level tree down to R. In fact, to place haplogroups M through S as named branches under K. There is so much infrastructure hard-coded with R throughout the community, we are living with dual naming for now. See the yDNA Groupings page for more detail. But the new name should likely transition to K-P312 or possibly K2-P312. To add further confusion, if there is not enough already, ISOGG has been moving to use a particular STR value to define a new haplogroup branch point and collect R1b-DF27, R1b-U152, R1b-DF99 and others under it. A recombination or cross-over in the terminology itself (haplogroup and SNP versus haplotype and STR)!

There are External Resources that describe when and where this branch likely occurred in ancient history. Refer to them for further information.

External Resources

• yTree.net — a working, research Haplogroup tree construction for P312 and below
• FamilyTreeDNA P312 Working Group
• Wikipedia section on P312 in R1b page
• ISOGG section on P312 in R1b page
• Anthrogenica P312 discussions
• R1b on Eupedia
• Yahoo P312 Group