It has an extremely low frequency in modern populations, except (i) Iran and its western neighbors, and (ii) a region straddling south Central Siberia (Russia) and northern Kazakhstan.

The most basal examples of G1 identified in living individuals, which belong to the G-L830 subclade, have been found across an area from the Arabian Peninsula (Northern Borders Region of Saudi Arabia, Ad-Dawhah of Qatar) to Ashkenazi Jews of Belarus (Minsk Region) and China (Anhui).

[1][2] Almost all G1 persons have the value of 12 at short tandem repeat (STR) marker DYS392 and all will have the M285 SNP mutation which characterizes this group.

[10] A study of Lebanon by Zalloua et al. failed to test for G1, but 26% of 38 G samples had the value of 12 for STR marker DYS392, almost always characteristic of G1.

[11] A broader study of the Levant by El-Sibai et al. also failed to test for G1, but 12% of 17 Syrian G samples had the 12 value at DYS392.

The highest concentration of G1 within a distinct group within a country was reported among the Kazakh tribe Argyn – 67% and its branch Madjars of Kazakhstan where G1 persons comprised 87% of 45 samples,.

[16] Category G1a has a separate subgroup based on the presence of the value of 8 at short tandem repeat marker DYS494.

Old G1b (P76) was removed from the official listing in August, 2012, because its discovery in a single person makes it so far only a private SNP.

One of the distinctive European-ancestry G1c Ashkenazi Jewish STR marker value combinations is found also in an Iraqi Jew in one research study.

The concentration of G1 found today in Iran and adjoining territory to its west suggests, but does not prove, this same area was the site of G1 origin.

Due to the lengthy age of G1, distant migrations of small numbers of G1 persons could have occurred at any time during the historical period through a variety of types of population movements.