The human Y-chromosome haplogroup E-V12 is a subclade of E-M78, which in turn is part of the larger haplogroup E1b1b1. According to , the E-V12 sublineage likely originated in Northern Africa. It is found across Northern Africa with a strong presence in Egypt, Sudan, the Central Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and in lower frequency across the Levant, Anatolia, African Great Lakes region, and Europe.