Ancient genomes illuminate the demographic history of Shandong over the past two millennia

Qu Shen; Zhigang Wu; Jinguo Zan; Xiaomin Yang; Jianxin Guo; Zhi Ji; Baitong Wang; Yilan Liu; Xiaolu Mao; Xinyi Wang; Xinyue Zou; Hongming Zhou; Yanying Peng; Hao Ma; Haifeng He; Tianyou Bai; Mengting Xu; Shaoqing Wen; Li Jin; Qun Zhang; Chuan-Chao Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jgg.2024.07.008

Volume 52 Issue 4

Apr. 2025

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Ancient genomes illuminate the demographic history of Shandong over the past two millennia

doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.07.008

a. Department of Anthropology and Ethnology, Institute of Anthropology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Bioanthropology, School of Sociology and Anthropology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China;
b. Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China;
c. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China;
d. State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361002, China;
e. Institute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China;
f. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China;
g. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China;
h. Department of Archaeology, School of History, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China

Funds:

The work was funded by the Shandong Province Humanities and Social Sciences Project “Sorting and Research on Human Bones of Han Dynasty Excavated from the Medical Center Cemetery in Linzi” granted to Zhigang Wu (2022-JCLS-12), the National Key Research and Development Program (2023YFC3303701-02), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32270667), the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China (2023J06013), the Major Project of the National Social Science Foundation of China granted to Chuan-Chao Wang (21&ZD285), Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at Fudan University (No. SKLGE-2310), Open Research Fund of Forensic Genetics Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Public Security (2023FGKFKT07), and Major Special Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences Research of the Ministry of Education (2022JZDZ023).

Received Date: 2024-01-29
Accepted Date: 2024-07-07
Rev Recd Date: 2024-07-01

Available Online: 2025-07-11

Publish Date: 2024-07-14

Abstract

Abstract

Shandong province, located in the Lower Yellow River, is one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese civilization. However, the comprehensive genetic histories of this region have remained largely unknown until now due to a lack of ancient human genomes. Here, we present 21 ancient genomes from Shandong dating from the Warring States period to the Northern Dynasties. Unlike the early Neolithic samples from Shandong, the historical samples are most closely related to post-Late Neolithic populations of the Middle Yellow River Basin, suggesting a population turnover in Shandong from the Neolithic Age to the Historical era. In addition, we detect a close genetic affinity between the historical samples in Shandong and present-day Han Chinese, showing long-term genetic stability in Han Chinese, at least since the Warring States period.
- Ancient DNA,
- Shandong,
- Yellow River,
- Historical period,
- Population migration,
- Genetic heterogeneity,
- Genetic stability,
- Han

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