S-M254 is the most common haplogroup among males in the Papua New Guinea Highlands.

It is also relatively common in some parts of Oceania, Wallacea and among indigenous Australians.

[citation needed] In a major correction to the phylogenetic tree during 2016, Haplogroup S-M230 was "demoted" from the position of basal clade S*, becoming S1a1b, while S-B254 was "promoted" in its place to the level of S*.

[citation needed] It has two primary subclades: S1 (B255) and S2 (P378).

[1] The existence of a third subclade, defined by the SNP, P336 has not been confirmed.