Physical Characteristics of the Earliest Turks: Evolving Understanding and Genetic Insights

The earliest Turks were known as Proto-Turks, living in North Asia with distinctly East Asian Mongoloid features. Over time, these characteristics gradually evolved and changed as these ancient people migrated and intermixed with other populations.

Early Turkic DNA and Genetic Insights

Genetic studies reveal that the earliest Turks carried traits common among East Asians, Southeast Asians, and North Asians. They possessed the EDAR gene, which is prevalent in modern East Asians and Southeast Asians, as well as in Native Americans. However, this gene is not found in African or European populations. This suggests a unique genetic heritage among these populations.

Further genetic analysis has shown that early Turks were characterized by distinct Y-haplogroups, including Q, N, O, and C2. A notable fact is that the Inuit population retains almost 80% of the Q-haplogroup, while the Yakutia approximately 90% of N-haplogroup. The Korean and Northern Tungusic peoples exhibit a higher prevalence of the O-haplogroup, around 80%, indicating a significant genetic continuity over centuries.

The Proto-Turkish Population

Proto-Turks were categorized as a people of East Asian Mongoloid appearance, based on their genetic origins. However, over the years, these early Turks lost many of these traits through a combination of interbreeding with other populations and the gradual evolution of their physical characteristics.

Visualizing Proto-Turks

Archaeological findings and genetic research provide us with a clearer picture of what early Proto-Turks might have looked like. One of the most compelling examples is the representation of a 7500-year-old Anatolian woman, which remarkably resembles modern Turks and other Middle Eastern populations.

It is crucial to note that while modern Turks have a genetic heritage traceable to Proto-Turks, their physical appearance has significantly diversified. Due to extensive intermixing with populations from around the Anatolian peninsula, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, Turks are now predominantly a mixed population with diverse origins.

The Modern Turkish Appearance

Modern Turks are predominantly of Middle Eastern origin, which can be traced back to their ancestors such as Iranians, Caucasians, and Levantine people. This Middle Eastern heritage is reflected in their genetic makeup, with a high prevalence of Y-DNA Haplogroup J2. This haplogroup is believed to have originated between 32,000 and 35,000 years ago in the region encompassing the Levant, Caucasus, and Mesopotamia.

Further supporting this genetic link, a 7500-year-old representation of an Anatolian woman provides a striking resemblance to modern Turks and other Middle Eastern populations, highlighting the continuity of physical traits.

The Historical Context of the Early Turks

Historically, the term 'Turk' as an identity was not widely used until the 19th century. Prior to this, there is little evidence of a widespread self-identification with the term 'Turk.' A famous example is the arrival of a Turkish wrestler in Paris in the 19th century, where he was expected to be a huge black man due to historical depictions of Turks, but was instead a "rather small white man," demonstrating the evolving understanding and representation of Turks.

Regardless of the historical and linguistic complexities, modern Turks predominantly identify with their Anatolian, Near Eastern, and Balkan roots. While they retain a significant portion of Proto-Turkic genetic heritage, their physical appearance and cultural identity have been influenced by centuries of intermixing and cultural exchange.