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Analysis of the matrilineal genetic structure of population in the early Iron Age from Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China

  • Articles/Geology
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Ancient mtDNA data of human remains were analyzed from four early Iron Age Tarim Basin sites (Yuansha, Zaghunluq, Sampula and Niya) in the southern Silk Road region. Haplogroup distributions show that ancient Tarim Basin population was comprised of well-differentiated Western and Eastern matrilineal lineages. Some West lineage of Tarim Basin population originated from Near East and Iran region. Of the East lineages, North and Northeast Asia originated lineages were the main components, and a few Southeast Asian lineages also existed, which indicated a more extensive origin and a more complex admixture. The genetic structure of ancient Tarim Basin population is relatively close to the modern populations of Xinjiang, which implied that the early Iron Age is an important period during the formation of the modern Xinjiang population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ancient DNA, Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China

    YinQiu Cui, ShiZhu Gao, QuanChao Zhang, Hong Zhu & Hui Zhou

  2. College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130023, China

    YinQiu Cui, ChengZhi Xie, HaiJing Wang & Hui Zhou

  3. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China

    ShiZhu Gao

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  1. YinQiu Cui
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  2. ShiZhu Gao
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  3. ChengZhi Xie
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  4. QuanChao Zhang
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  5. HaiJing Wang
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  6. Hong Zhu
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  7. Hui Zhou
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Correspondence to Hui Zhou.

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Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30871349 and J0530184)

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Cui, Y., Gao, S., Xie, C. et al. Analysis of the matrilineal genetic structure of population in the early Iron Age from Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China. Chin. Sci. Bull. 54, 3916–3923 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0647-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0647-8

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