Yemenis

Yemenis (Arabic: يمنيون) or Yemenites (Arabic: يمانيون) are the citizen population of Yemen.

Yemen, located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, serves as a crossroads between Africa and Eurasia. The genomes of present-day Yemenis provide insights into the region's complex history, as DNA can reveal patterns of human migration and interaction over millennia. Despite its historical significance, Yemeni populations have been underrepresented in genetic studies until recent years. Researchers have posed several questions about Yemen's genetic history, including whether its populations retain genetic traces of the first Out-of-Africa migrations, how subsequent population movements have influenced its gene pool, and the relative contributions of ancient (Pleistocene) versus recent (Holocene) population events. Additionally, Yemen's unique geographic position raises questions about its influence on the genetic structure of its inhabitants.

When talking about Levantine DNA in Yemen. It is about Natufian DNA, which makes up about 50-60% of Yemeni autosomal DNA. While current Levantines have a mixture of Anatolian, Zagrosian, Caucasian, and Natufian DNA, current Levantines did not shape nor affect Yemeni DNA, as Natufian DNA migrated to the Arabian peninsula thousands of years ago. Also, the population closest to Natufians are Yemenis and other populations in the Arabian peninsula.

Studies have begun to shed light on these questions. A 2008 investigation examined regional differences in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) across Yemen. This study revealed varying distributions of minimal sub-Saharan, and majority West Eurasian mtDNA lineages, with the majorty of Yemeni populations showing closer genetic ties to Middle Eastern and North African groups. Notably, Yemenis display the highest frequency of the West Eurasian R0a haplogroup detected to date, suggesting that southern Arabia might have been a site of its initial expansion. Sub-Saharan haplogroup M1 was primarily found in southwestern Yemen near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, whereas non-African M haplotypes occurred with low frequency in western Yemen and were more common in Hadhramaut. These findings highlight the stratification and diverse origins of the Yemeni gene pool, shaped by gene flow from West Eurasia.

In their 2017 paper, Ranajit Das, Paul Wexler, Mehdi Pirooznia, and Eran Elhaik analyzed the Lazaridis et al. 2016 study concluding that the Natufians, together with one Neolithic Levantine sample, clustered in proximity to modern Palestinians and Bedouins, and also "marginally overlapped" with Yemenite Jews. Ferreira et al. (2021) and Almarri et al. (2021) found that ancient Natufians cluster with modern Arabian groups, such as Saudi Arabians and Yemenis, which derive most of their ancestry from local Natufian-like hunter-gatherer peoples and have less Neolithic Anatolian ancestry than Levantines. Sirak et al. (2024) found that medieval Socotra (the Soqotri people)—similar to modern Saudis, Yemenis, and Bedouins—have a majority component that is "maximized in Late Pleistocene (Epipaleolithic) Natufian hunter–gatherers from the Levant".

More recent research, published in 2024, used genome-wide data from Yemeni and neighbouring populations to investigate the genetic history of Arabia. Principal component analysis showed that Yemenis form a genetic continuum with other Arabian and Levantine populations, distinct from East African and Indian groups. The findings provide a detailed, complementary understanding of the genetic landscape across Yemen and its likely ancestral sources. As per the study, this aligns with prior research by Vyas et al., which documented gene flow between Yemen, Arabia, and the Levant. Moreover, the study identifies patterns of Neanderthal introgression in Yemenis, resembling those found in Bedouin and other populations in Southwest Asia.

Yemen is notable as the most tribal nation in the Arab world, largely due to the significant influence of tribal leaders and their deep integration into various aspects of the state. Estimates vary, with approximately 200 tribes in Yemen, although some reports list more than 400.

There is a system of social stratification in Yemen that was officially abolished at the creation of the Republic of Yemen in 1962. In practice this system has not disappeared, and Yemeni society is still organized around social hierarchies. The difference between social ranks is manifested by descent and occupation and is consolidated by marriages between people of the same ranks.