East Asian Gene flow bridged by northern coastal populations over past 6000 years

AI interpretationAI-generated

Ancient Shandong DNA reveals 6000 years of coastal gene flow linking inland China and Japan.

Researchers sequenced 85 ancient individuals from 11 Shandong sites dating 6000-1500 years ago. They found that Shandong-related ancestry likely contributed to continental East Asian ancestry seen in post-Yayoi Japanese populations, especially those in the Ryukyu Islands around 2800 years ago. Within Shandong, they detected gene flow between northern and southern groups as early as 7700 years ago, plus two later waves from inland Yellow River populations during the Dawenkou period (6000-4600 BP) and early dynastic times (3500-1500 BP).

• Shandong-related ancestry may explain continental East Asian ancestry in post-Yayoi Japanese, especially Ryukyu Islanders around 2800 years ago.
• At least two waves of gene flow from inland Yellow River populations entered Shandong: during Dawenkou (6000-4600 BP) and early dynastic (3500-1500 BP) periods.
• North-south gene flow within Shandong existed as early as about 7700 years ago, showing long-term local mixing.

Sample interpretation

The study analyzed 88 samples from Shandong, with 52 resolved Y-chromosome lineages. Top Y haplogroups include N-Y149575 (5), N-CTS962 (5), O-F3314 (3), N-CTS582 (3), and C-F1319 (3). Top mtDNA lineages are B5b2c (5), D5b1b (4), Z-T152C! (3), B5b2a2 (3), and Z3 (3). Cultural contexts span Dawenkou (36), Han-Jin (8), Han (6), Shang (4), Longshan (3), and others, reflecting a broad temporal and cultural range.

For genealogy enthusiasts

For ancestry enthusiasts, this confirms Shandong's role as a genetic bridge between inland East Asia and island populations like Japan. It highlights how ancient coastal routes facilitated human movement, and that Y lineages like N and O were common in this region over millennia.