title: A genetic contribution from the Far East into Ashkenazi Jews via the ancient Silk Road.
abstract: Contemporary Jews retain a genetic imprint from their Near Eastern ancestry, but obtained substantial genetic components from their neighboring populations during their history. Whether they received any genetic contribution from the Far East remains unknown, but frequent communication with the Chinese has been observed since the Silk Road period. To address this issue, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation from 55,595 Eurasians are analyzed. The existence of some eastern Eurasian haplotypes in eastern Ashkenazi Jews supports an East Asian genetic contribution, likely from Chinese. Further evidence indicates that this connection can be attributed to a gene flow event that occurred less than 1.4 kilo-years ago (kya), which falls within the time frame of the Silk Road scenario and fits well with historical records and archaeological discoveries. This observed genetic contribution from Chinese to Ashkenazi Jews demonstrates that the historical exchange between Ashkenazim and the Far East was not confined to the cultural sphere but also extended to an exchange of genes.
authors: 1] State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China [2] KIZ/CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming 650223, China [3] Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors: Jiao-Yang
authors: JY
authors: Tian
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
authors: Hua-Wei
authors: HW
authors: Wang
authors: 1] State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China [2] KIZ/CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming 650223, China [3] Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors: Yu-Chun
authors: YC
authors: Li
authors: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
authors: Wen
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
authors: Yong-Gang
authors: YG
authors: Yao
authors: Independent scholar, Bennekom, The Netherlands.
authors: Jits
authors: J
authors: van Straten
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK.
authors: Martin B
authors: MB
authors: Richards
authors: 1] State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China [2] KIZ/CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming 650223, China.
authors: Qing-Peng
authors: QP
authors: Kong
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D051456:Gene Flow; D006801:Humans; D007585:Jews / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial