Greeks - Historum

Vasilios · December 10th, 2012, 07:15 PM

Who are the modern Greeks most closely related to in the balkans strictly genetically? I am not so sure but I think it would be Albanians. Ty in advance.

edit: Talking about modern populations only.

The Black Knight · December 10th, 2012, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasilios

Who are the modern Greeks most closely related to in the balkans strictly genetically? I am not so sure but I think it would be Albanians. Ty in advance.

edit: Talking about modern populations only.

Genetically, or linguistically?

**Midas** · December 10th, 2012, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasilios

Who are the modern Greeks most closely related to in the balkans strictly genetically? I am not so sure but I think it would be Albanians. Ty in advance.
edit: Talking about modern populations only.

Genetically Albanians. Linguistically none. The closest living language to Greek is Armenian.

**Mandate of Heaven** · December 11th, 2012, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midas

Genetically Albanians. Linguistically none. The closest living language to Greek is Armenian.

This made the Greek nationalists proudly espousing their Greek heritage sometime ago in this forum an ironic mockery.

Niki86 · December 11th, 2012, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midas

Genetically Albanians. Linguistically none. The closest living language to Greek is Armenian.

I thought that Albanians were mostly Slavs who arrived in the Balkans during the 5th century AD

**Efendi** · December 11th, 2012, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasilios

Who are the modern Greeks most closely related to in the balkans strictly genetically? I am not so sure but I think it would be Albanians. Ty in advance.

edit: Talking about modern populations only.

There are many modern Greeks. Greek of Pontus, West Anatolia, Greece, Balkans... Levant...

Who are these Greek which resemble to Albanians?

**arras** · December 11th, 2012, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Niki86

I thought that Albanians were mostly Slavs who arrived in the Balkans during the 5th century AD

They are not Slavic (which does not mean no Slavic influence and genes). They are most probably descendants of Thracians or other ancient Balkan people. Most probably their mix.

Darth Roach · December 11th, 2012, 05:02 AM

Other Ancient Balkan people includes Greeks, btw.

Either way, if the Greeks aren't most closely related to ancient Greeks, whom else are they related to then?

bilbil · December 11th, 2012, 05:58 AM

If we speak for modern nations, Greeks are closely related to Albanians, Macedonians and Turks. Of course, it depends from the region in Greece where they live in.

**Midas** · December 11th, 2012, 10:44 AM

Ok, lets speak with facts here cause otherwise this might be derailed.

We're talking strictly in the Balkans right?

Greeks in average have 3 major neolithic Y-DNA haplogroups, native to the Balkans:

J2a: 23%
E1b1b: 21%
G2a: 6.5%

Albanians have 3 of those major neolithic haplogroups:

J2a: 19%
E1b1b1: 27%
G2a: 1.5%

As you can see the main neolithic haplogroups that constitute almost the 50% of the genetic background of Greeks and Albanians, is similar.

If we have a look at the later, bronze age Y-DNA that came to the Balkans it looks like this (I am taking distance to the I2a haplogroups in this case, that are low anyway):

Greeks
R1a: 11.5%
R1b: 15.5%

Albanians
R1a: 9%
R1b: 16%

As you can see the percentage on those is almost equal too.

Similar data you will find both amongst Southern Italians and Western Turks.

Now, the more north you go in the Balkans, the less J2a and E1b1b you get, while the I2a is incredibly high and so does I1 in relative terms.