title: Ancient DNA reveals a migration of the ancient Di-qiang populations into Xinjiang as early as the early Bronze Age.
abstract: Xinjiang is at the crossroads between East and West Eurasia, and it harbors a relatively complex genetic history. In order to better understand the population movements and interactions in this region, mitochondrial and Y chromosome analyses on 40 ancient human remains from the Tianshanbeilu site in eastern Xinjiang were performed. Twenty-nine samples were successfully assigned to specific mtDNA haplogroups, including the west Eurasian maternal lineages of U and W and the east Eurasian maternal lineages of A, C, D, F, G, Z, M7, and M10. In the male samples, two Y chromosome haplogroups, C* and N1 (xN1a, N1c), were successfully assigned. Our mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA analyses combined with the archaeological studies revealed that the Di-qiang populations from the Hexi Corridor had migrated to eastern Xinjiang and admixed with the Eurasian steppe populations in the early Bronze Age.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ancient DNA, Department of Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China; Department of Biopharmacy, College of Pharmacia Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Zhu
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Hong-Jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yin-Qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D063426:Human Migration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Tianshanbeilu site; Y-DNA; ancient DNA; mtDNA