Genetic stability in the lower Yangtze River basin from Song to Qing Dynasty

The lower Yangtze River basin holds a pivotal role in Chinese history. As previous genetic research in this region has primarily focused on modern population datasets, the limited availability of ancient human genomes has hindered our capacity to reconstruct detailed ancient population histories and evaluate the genetic impact of Yellow River-related groups.


Results

Here, we present the first set of ancient human genomes from the lower Yangtze River basin, comprising eight individuals from the Song to Qing Dynasties (960–1921 CE). We observed a high degree of genetic homogeneity in most samples, suggesting long-term regional genetic stability. Seven individuals were estimated to derive 69.3–100% of their ancestry from ancient Yellow River-related populations, while the remainder can be attributed to a southern East Asian substrate. Contemporary Han Chinese residing in the lower Yangtze basin can be modelled as direct genetic descendants of historical individuals from this area. Notably, one Qing Dynasty sample reveals a genetic link to the Eastern Mediterranean.


Conclusions

Our findings illustrate enduring genetic continuity in the lower Yangtze River basin throughout historical times. These findings underscore the region’s role as a genetic bridge between northern and southern East Asia, retaining local rice-farming ancestry while being shaped by southward expansions of Yellow River-related ancestry.
背景

长江下游流域在中国历史上扮演着举足轻重的角色。由于以往对该地区的研究主要集中于现代人群数据集，古代人类基因组数据的匮乏阻碍了我们重建详细的古代人口历史以及评估黄河相关人群遗传影响的能力。


结果

本文首次报道了来自长江下游流域的古代人类基因组，包含八位宋代至清代（公元960-1921年）的个体。我们观察到大多数样本具有高度的遗传同质性，表明该地区长期遗传稳定性较高。据估计，其中七位个体的祖先有69.3%至100%来源于古代黄河相关人群，其余部分则可归因于东亚南部人群。居住在长江下游流域的现代汉族人可以被视为该地区历史人群的直接遗传后裔。值得注意的是，一个清代样本揭示了与东地中海地区的遗传联系。


结论

我们的研究结果表明，长江下游流域在历史长河中始终保持着遗传连续性。这些发现凸显了该地区作为连接东亚北部和南部遗传桥梁的作用，它既保留了当地的稻作祖先特征，又受到黄河相关祖先向南扩张的影响。