Maternal genetic history of ancient Tibetans over the past 4000 years

Ganyu Zhang; Can Cui; Shargan Wangdue; Hongliang Lu; Honghai Chen; Lin Xi; Wei He; Haibing Yuan; Tinley Tsring; Zujun Chen; Feng Yang; Tashi Tsering; Shuai Li; Norbu Tashi; Tsho Yang; Yan Tong; Xiaohong Wu; Linhui Li; Yuanhong He; Peng Cao; Qingyan Dai; Feng Liu; Xiaotian Feng; Tianyi Wang; Ruowei Yang; Wanjing Ping; Ming Zhang; Xing Gao; Yichen Liu; Wenjun Wang; Qiaomei Fu

doi:10.1016/j.jgg.2023.03.007

Maternal genetic history of ancient Tibetans over the past 4000 years

J Genet Genomics. 2023 Oct;50(10):765-775. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.03.007. Epub 2023 Mar 16.

Authors

Ganyu Zhang¹, Can Cui¹, Shargan Wangdue², Hongliang Lu³, Honghai Chen⁴, Lin Xi², Wei He², Haibing Yuan³, Tinley Tsring², Zujun Chen², Feng Yang³, Tashi Tsering², Shuai Li³, Norbu Tashi², Tsho Yang², Yan Tong², Xiaohong Wu⁵, Linhui Li², Yuanhong He³, Peng Cao⁶, Qingyan Dai⁶, Feng Liu⁶, Xiaotian Feng⁶, Tianyi Wang¹, Ruowei Yang⁶, Wanjing Ping⁶, Ming Zhang⁴, Xing Gao⁶, Yichen Liu⁷, Wenjun Wang⁸, Qiaomei Fu⁹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² Tibet Institute for Conservation and Research of Cultural Relics, Lhasa, Tibet 850000, China.
³ Center for Archaeological Science, School of Archaeology and Museology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610064, China.
⁴ School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, China.
⁵ School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China. Electronic address: yichen.liu@ivpp.ac.cn.
⁸ Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; Science and Technology Archaeology, National Centre for Archaeology, Beijing 100013, China. Electronic address: wangwenjun@ivpp.ac.cn.
⁹ Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute, Shanghai 200232, China. Electronic address: fuqiaomei@ivpp.ac.cn.

PMID: 36933795
DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.03.007

Abstract

The settlement of the Tibetan Plateau epitomizes human adaptation to a high-altitude environment that poses great challenges to human activity. Here, we reconstruct a 4000-year maternal genetic history of Tibetans using 128 ancient mitochondrial genome data from 37 sites in Tibet. The phylogeny of haplotypes M9a1a, M9a1b, D4g2, G2a'c, and D4i show that ancient Tibetans share the most recent common ancestor with ancient Middle and Upper Yellow River populations around the Early and Middle Holocene. In addition, the connections between Tibetans and Northeastern Asians vary over the past 4000 years, with a stronger matrilineal connection between the two during 4000 BP-3000 BP, and a weakened connection after 3000 BP, that are coincident with climate change, followed by a reinforced connection after the Tubo period (1400 BP-1100 BP). Besides, an over 4000-year matrilineal continuity is observed in some of the maternal lineages. We also find the maternal genetic structure of ancient Tibetans is correlated to the geography and interactions between ancient Tibetans and ancient Nepal and Pakistan populations. Overall, the maternal genetic history of Tibetans can be characterized as a long-term matrilineal continuity with frequent internal and external population interactions that are dynamically shaped by geography, climate changes, as well as historical events.

Keywords: Ancient DNA; Mitochondrial genome; Population history; Tibetans.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Historical Article

MeSH terms

Asian People / genetics
DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
East Asian People
Female
Genetics, Population
Genome, Mitochondrial / genetics
Haplotypes* / genetics
History, Ancient
Humans
Maternal Inheritance / genetics
Phylogeny*
Tibet

Substances

DNA, Mitochondrial

Supplementary concepts

Tibetan people