A western Eurasian male is found in 2000-year-old elite Xiongnu cemetery in Northeast Mongolia.
We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNP), and autosomal short tandem repeats (STR) of three skeletons found in a 2,000-year-old Xiongnu elite cemetery in Duurlig Nars of Northeast Mongolia. This study is one of the first reports of the detailed genetic analysis of ancient human remains using the three types of genetic markers. The DNA analyses revealed that one subject was an ancient male skeleton with maternal U2e1 and paternal R1a1 haplogroups. This is the first genetic evidence that a male of distinctive Indo-European lineages (R1a1) was present in the Xiongnu of Mongolia. This might indicate an Indo-European migration into Northeast Asia 2,000 years ago. Other specimens are a female with mtDNA haplogroup D4 and a male with Y-SNP haplogroup C3 and mtDNA haplogroup D4. Those haplogroups are common in Northeast Asia. There was no close kinship among them. The genetic evidence of U2e1 and R1a1 may help to clarify the migration patterns of Indo-Europeans and ancient East-West contacts of the Xiongnu Empire. Artifacts in the tombs suggested that the Xiongnu had a system of the social stratification. The West Eurasian male might show the racial tolerance of the Xiongnu Empire and some insight into the Xiongnu society.
Kim
Kijeong
K
Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea, Republic of Korea.
Brenner
Charles H
CH
Mair
Victor H
VH
Lee
Kwang-Ho
KH
Kim
Jae-Hyun
JH
Gelegdorj
Eregzen
E
Batbold
Natsag
N
Song
Yi-Chung
YC
Yun
Hyeung-Won
HW
Chang
Eun-Jeong
EJ
Lkhagvasuren
Gavaachimed
G
Bazarragchaa
Munkhtsetseg
M
Park
Ae-Ja
AJ
Lim
Inja
I
Hong
Yun-Pyo
YP
Kim
Wonyong
W
Chung
Sang-In
SI
Kim
Dae-Jin
DJ
Chung
Yoon-Hee
YH
Kim
Sung-Su
SS
Lee
Won-Bok
WB
Kim
Kyung-Yong
KY
D044466:Asian People; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D055699:Cemeteries; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D005580:Fossils; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008986:Mongolia; D010163:Paleontology / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044465:White People
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004247:DNA