▁European ▁sub - cla de ▁of ▁E 1 b 1 b 1 a ▁( E - M 7 8 ). ▁E - M 7 8 ▁most ▁likely ▁origin ated ▁in ▁n ort he astern ▁Africa , ▁while ▁its ▁sub cla de ▁E - V 1 3 ▁origin ated ▁in ▁western ▁Asia , ▁and ▁first ▁expanded ▁into ▁Europe ▁some ▁ 5 3 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁The ▁current ▁distribution ▁of ▁this ▁line age ▁might ▁be ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁several ▁dem ographic ▁exp ans ions ▁from ▁the ▁B alk ans , ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁B alk an ▁Bron ze ▁Age , ▁and ▁more ▁recently , ▁during ▁the ▁Roman ▁era ▁with ▁the ▁so - called ▁" r ise ▁of ▁Il ly r ican ▁soldier y ". ▁The ▁peak ▁of ▁the ▁ha p lo group ▁in ▁Kos ovo , ▁however , ▁has ▁been ▁attributed ▁to ▁gen etic ▁dr ift . ▁▁ ▁Y ▁ha p lo group ▁J ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁B alk ans ▁is ▁mainly ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁sub - cla de ▁J 2 b ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁J - M 1 2 ▁or ▁J - M 1 0 2 ). ▁Like ▁E - V 1 3 , ▁J 2 b ▁is ▁spread ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁with ▁a ▁seem ing ▁centre ▁and ▁origin ▁in ▁the ▁B alk ans . ▁Its ▁relatives ▁within ▁the ▁J 2 ▁cla de ▁are ▁also ▁found ▁in ▁high ▁frequencies ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁Southern ▁Europe , ▁especially ▁Greece ▁and ▁Italy , ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁more ▁diverse . ▁J 2 b ▁itself