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

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

J Genet Genomics. 2025 Apr;52(4):494-501. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.07.008. Epub 2024 Jul 14.

Authors

Qu Shen¹, Zhigang Wu², Jinguo Zan³, Xiaomin Yang⁴, Jianxin Guo⁵, Zhi Ji¹, Baitong Wang¹, Yilan Liu⁶, Xiaolu Mao¹, Xinyi Wang¹, Xinyue Zou¹, Hongming Zhou¹, Yanying Peng¹, Hao Ma⁶, Haifeng He⁶, Tianyou Bai⁶, Mengting Xu⁶, Shaoqing Wen⁷, Li Jin⁸, Qun Zhang⁹, Chuan-Chao Wang¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ 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.
² Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China. Electronic address: lcsx@sina.com.
³ Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
⁴ 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. Electronic address: xmyang36@163.com.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361002, China.
⁷ Institute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
⁸ 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; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
⁹ Department of Archaeology, School of History, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China. Electronic address: zhangqun@whu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ 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; State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361002, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: wang@xmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 39009303
DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.07.008

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.

Keywords: Ancient DNA; Genetic heterogeneity; Genetic stability; Han; Historical period; Population migration; Shandong; Yellow River.

Publication types

Historical Article

MeSH terms

China
DNA, Ancient* / analysis
Genetics, Population
Genome, Human* / genetics
History, Ancient
Humans
Phylogeny

Substances

DNA, Ancient