Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

Paleolithic genetic link between Southern China and Mainland Southeast Asia revealed by ancient mitochondrial genomes

Journal of Human Genetics volume 65, pages 1125–1128 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

The genetic history of Southern East Asians is not well-known, especially prior to the Neolithic period. To address this, we successfully sequenced two complete mitochondrial genomes of 11,000-year-old human individuals from Southern China, thus generating the oldest ancient DNA sequences from this area. Integrating published mitochondrial genomes, we characterized M71d, a new subhaplogroup of haplogroup M71. Our results suggest a possible early migration between Southern China and mainland Southeast Asia by at least 22,000 BP.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1

Data availability

The whole mitochondrial genome sequence data reported in this paper have been deposited in the Genome Warehouse in National Genomics Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation), Chinese Academy of Sciences, under accession number GWHANOT01000000 and GWHANOU01000000 that is publicly accessible at https://bigd.big.ac.cn/.

References

  1. Jin L, Su B. Natives or immigrants: modern human origin in east Asia. Nat Rev Genet. 2000;1:126–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. McColl H, Racimo F, Vinner L, Demeter F, Gakuhari T, Moreno-Mayar JV, et al. The prehistoric peopling of Southeast Asia. Science. 2018;361:88–92.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhang X, Li C, Zhou Y, Huang J, Yu T, Liu X, et al. A matrilineal genetic perspective of hanging coffin custom in Southern China and Northern Thailand. iScience. 2020;23:101032.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Yang MA, Fan X, Sun B, Chen C, Lang J, Ko Y-C, et al. Ancient DNA indicates human population shifts and admixture in northern and southern China. Science. 2020;eaba0909.

  5. Zhang X, Pei S, Wu X, Bar-Yosef O. Qingshuiyuan Dadong: a newly discovered Late Paleolithic site in Guizhou province, China. Archaeol Res Asia. 2017;9:13–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Dabney J, Knapp M, Glocke I, Gansauge M-T, Weihmann A, Nickel B, et al. Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a Middle Pleistocene cave bear reconstructed from ultrashort DNA fragments. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013;110:15758–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Fu Q, Meyer M, Gao X, Stenzel U, Burbano HA, Kelso J, et al. DNA analysis of an early modern human from Tianyuan Cave, China. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013;110:2223–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Andrews RM, Kubacka I, Chinnery PF, Lightowlers RN, Turnbull DM, Howell N. Reanalysis and revision of the Cambridge reference sequence for human mitochondrial DNA. Nat Genet. 1999;23:147.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fu Q, Mittnik A, Johnson PLF, Bos K, Lari M, Bollongino R, et al. A revised timescale for human evolution based on ancient mitochondrial genomes. Curr Biol. 2013;23:553–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Kutanan W, Kampuansai J, Brunelli A, Ghirotto S, Pittayaporn P, Ruangchai S, et al. New insights from Thailand into the maternal genetic history of Mainland Southeast Asia. Eur J Hum Genet. 2018;26:898–911.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Duong NT, Macholdt E, Ton ND, Arias L, Schröder R, Phong NV, et al. Complete human mtDNA genome sequences from Vietnam and the phylogeography of Mainland Southeast Asia. Sci Rep. 2018;8:11651.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Kong Q-P, Sun C, Wang H-W, Zhao M, Wang W-Z, Zhong L, et al. Large-scale mtDNA screening reveals a surprising matrilineal complexity in East Asia and its implications to the peopling of the region. Mol Biol Evol. 2011;28:513–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kutanan W, Kampuansai J, Srikummool M, Kangwanpong D, Ghirotto S, Brunelli A, et al. Complete mitochondrial genomes of Thai and Lao populations indicate an ancient origin of Austroasiatic groups and demic diffusion in the spread of Tai–Kadai languages. Hum Genet. 2017;136:85–98.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Summerer M, Horst J, Erhart G, Weißensteiner H, Schönherr S, Pacher D, et al. Large-scale mitochondrial DNA analysis in Southeast Asia reveals evolutionary effects of cultural isolation in the multi-ethnic population of Myanmar. BMC Evol Biol. 2014;14:17.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Yao Y-G, Kong Q-P, Bandelt H-J, Kivisild T, Zhang Y-P. Phylogeographic differentiation of mitochondrial DNA in Han Chinese. Am J Hum Genet. 2002;70:635–51.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Weissensteiner H, Pacher D, Kloss-Brandstätter A, Forer L, Specht G, Bandelt H-J, et al. HaploGrep 2: mitochondrial haplogroup classification in the era of high-throughput sequencing. Nucleic Acids Res. 2016;44(W1):W58–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Suchard MA, Lemey P, Baele G, Ayres DL, Drummond AJ, Rambaut A. Bayesian phylogenetic and phylodynamic data integration using BEAST 1.10. Virus Evol. 2018. https://academic.oup.com/ve/article/4/1/vey016/5035211

  18. Forster P, Harding R, Torroni A, Bandelt HJ. Origin and evolution of Native American mtDNA variation: a reappraisal. Am J Hum Genet. 1996;59:935–45.

    CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Saillard J, Forster P, Lynnerup N, Bandelt H-J, Nørby S. mtDNA variation among Greenland Eskimos: the edge of the Beringian Expansion. Am J Hum Genet. 2000;67:718–26.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Curnoe D, Xueping J, Herries AIR, Kanning B, Taçon PSC, Zhende B, et al. Human Remains from the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition of Southwest China Suggest a Complex Evolutionary History for East Asians. PLoS ONE 2012;7:e31918.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank A.M. Ko, and E.A. Bennett for comments.

Funding

This work was supported by the CAS (XDB26000000) and NSFC (91731303, 41925009, and 41630102).

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Fan Bai, Xinglong Zhang

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, CAS, 100044, Beijing, China

    Fan Bai, Peng Cao, Xiaotian Feng, Ruowei Yang, Shuwen Pei & Qiaomei Fu

  2. Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044, Beijing, China

    Fan Bai, Shuwen Pei & Qiaomei Fu

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China

    Fan Bai, Minsheng Peng & Qiaomei Fu

  4. Guizhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Guiyang, 550003, China

    Xinglong Zhang

  5. Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, 650118, China

    Xueping Ji

  6. Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China

    Xueping Ji

  7. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China

    Minsheng Peng

  8. KIZ/CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming, 650223, China

    Minsheng Peng

Authors
  1. Fan Bai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xinglong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xueping Ji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Peng Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xiaotian Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ruowei Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Minsheng Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Shuwen Pei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Qiaomei Fu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qiaomei Fu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bai, F., Zhang, X., Ji, X. et al. Paleolithic genetic link between Southern China and Mainland Southeast Asia revealed by ancient mitochondrial genomes. J Hum Genet 65, 1125–1128 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s10038-020-0796-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s10038-020-0796-9

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links