title: Ancient DNA analysis of human remains from the Upper Capital City of Kublai Khan.
abstract: Analysis of DNA from human archaeological remains is a powerful tool for reconstructing ancient events in human history. To help understand the origin of the inhabitants of Kublai Khan's Upper Capital in Inner Mongolia, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms in 21 ancient individuals buried in the Zhenzishan cemetery of the Upper Capital. MtDNA coding and noncoding region polymorphisms identified in the ancient individuals were characteristic of the Asian mtDNA haplogroups A, B, N9a, C, D, Z, M7b, and M. Phylogenetic analysis of the ancient mtDNA sequences, and comparison with extant reference populations, revealed that the maternal lineages of the population buried in the Zhenzishan cemetery are of Asian origin and typical of present-day Han Chinese, despite the presence of typical European morphological features in several of the skeletons.
authors.affiliation: Ancient DNA Laboratory, Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Chengzhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xuelian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chunxiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Quanchao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D055699:Cemeteries; D002681:China; D002980:Climate; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012621:Seasons; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004247:DNA