BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A study on ancient genomes from east China's Shandong Province has revealed the complex migration and integration patterns of populations in East Asia spanning over 6,000 years.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research provides new insights into how ancient people moved and mixed across northern coastal regions, inland areas, and islands.

Conducted by a team of Chinese scientists led by Fu Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the study analyzed nuclear genomes from 85 individuals at 11 archaeological sites in Shandong, dating back 6,000 to 1,500 years.

Collaborators included researchers from Shandong University, Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and Jinan Archaeological Research Institute.

The study reveals that ancestral groups from northern and southern East Asia began mixing in coastal regions at least 7,700 years ago, earlier than previously believed.

Genetic data from the Xiaojingshan population, dating back 7,700 years, shows strong links to both southern East Asian and ancient Heilongjiang River Basin populations, updating the timeline of north-south genetic interactions in the region.

The research also highlights two major waves of genetic influence from northern inland populations into Shandong coastal groups during the Dawenkou culture period (6,000-4,600 years ago) and the early dynastic period (3,500-1,500 years ago).

These genetic exchanges did not always align with known cultural interactions, such as those between the Yangshao and Dawenkou cultures, suggesting complex demographic dynamics beyond cultural connections.

In a significant breakthrough, the study traces genetic ties between the populations of Shandong and the ancient inhabitants of Miyako Island in the Ryukyu archipelago, southern Japan.

The Nagabaka population, dating back 500 years, inherited about 75 percent of their ancestry from Shandong groups during the Longshan period (4,600-4,000 years ago), mixed with indigenous Jomon-related lineages.

This discovery clarifies a previously unknown East Asian component in the Ryukyu triple-origin model and explains genetic differences between Ryukyu and mainland Japanese populations.

The findings underscore Shandong's role as a genetic bridge connecting inland, coastal, and island populations over millennia. By integrating north-south and east-west perspectives, the study demonstrates how cultural exchanges, migration, and genetic mixing shaped the diversity of modern East Asians.

"This research fills critical gaps in our understanding of East Asia's genetic history," said Fu, the study's corresponding author. "It brings us closer to answering the fundamental question: Where do modern East Asians come from?"

The study not only updates existing theories but also provides a framework for exploring deeper interactions across Eurasia, highlighting the importance of coastal regions in ancient population movements. Enditem

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