Latest news with #Austroasiatic
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Scientists Studied DNA From 7,100-Year-Old Remains—and Found a Mysterious Ghost Lineage
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Ancient DNA—from the bones of an individual found at an archaeological site in southern China—reveals the presence of a 'ghost lineage' connected to the peoples of Tibet. This ghost lineage remained uncharacterized until now, and after further analysis, it was determined to be unrelated to other lineages from the region. More sampling from ancient and modern people living in the region where this skeleton was found could reveal more about its origins and the origins of Tibetan groups in general. The Xingyi archaeological site in Central Yunnan, China, was the final resting place for many deceased, but paleoanthropologist Tianyi Wang was haunted by the skeletal remains of one Early Neolithic individual in particular. The remains, which once belonged to a woman who had been buried with her knees to her chin, had a secret—her 7,100-year-old bones deepened the mystery of a ghost lineage in Tibet's past. Ancient DNA is usually fragmented, with parts having degraded over hundreds (and often thousands) of years. But there was enough information in the genes of this particular individual to identify a lineage that had previously gone uncharacterized. When exactly this lineage diverged from other East Asian lineages is unknown, but it diverged deeply, and is ancestral to Tibet. Yunnan is located at the crossroads of southern China, southeast Asia, and the Tibetan plateau, making it an ideal place to research the genetic diversity of ancient peoples that now only live on in the ancestry of modern humans. Many questions have gone unanswered about the origins of existing East Asian populations—which include groups from the Tibetan Plateau and speakers of Austroasiatic languages predominantly spoken in Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Cambodia. The phantom lineage in Tibetan DNA is unrelated to any other. 'Some have suggested an archaic origin due to high frequencies of a Denisovan [lineage] in Tibetan populations and the physical presence of Denisovans on the plateau,' Wang and her team said in a study recently published in Science Advances. 'Others have proposed a modern origin related to Paleolithic Eurasians, including an early Asian lineage.' So far, no source population of the ghost lineage has been found, which makes it difficult to figure out from whom Tibetans originated. Ancient DNA from the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan arc between Tibet and the north of India was previously found to have East Asian ancestry from both the Yellow River Valley in lowland East Asia and the Amur River Valley in inner Mongolia. However, this ancestry are unrelated to the ghost lineage. It is unclear how populations in East and Southeast Asia shifted as hunting and foraging made way for the rise of agriculture. In mainland Southeast Asia, the ancestors of Australasian speakers are linked to agriculture and rice farming, since rice paddies thrive in the humid, tropical climate. The descendants of these ancient people now live in Southeast Asia, southern China, and India. Not enough genetic sampling has been done on the ancient populations of southern China, which may be part of the reason why the origins of the ghost lineage are so elusive. Radiocarbon dating on the bones of the Xingyi individual told researchers that she had lived 1,500 years earlier than others buried at the site. Genomic sequencing and DNA analysis revealed more about where, and who, she came from. Her ancestry was compared to many ancient human groups, and unsurprisingly, she has the closest links to both ancient and modern East and Southeast Asian populations. Her DNA was significantly different from ancient individuals from northern and southern China, who are related to modern East and Southeast Asians. Wang and her team think the ghost lineage she carries diverged from other populations in Asia some 40,000 years ago. During the Pleistocene epoch, when much of Earth froze over, people with this lineage must have survived in southern regions with a more stable climate. The Xiaodong rock shelter in Yunnan has a 43,500-year history of human occupation that they think could be linked with Asian ancestries that diverged deeply—possibly including the Tibetan ghost lineage. '[The Xingyi specimen] shows the existence of a second deeply diverged Asian population that lived in southern latitudes during the mid-Holocene and reveals […] ancestry that affected ancient and present-day Tibetan populations,' the team said. The ghost lineage took its secrets to the grave, and for now—even after the excavations—it seems to be keeping them there. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Ancient DNA fills ‘critical gap' in genetic history of Tibetans
A study confirms China's Yunnan province as a key crossroads of human migration, revealing that the ancestors of the Tibetan people, including a mysterious 'ghost' population, originated there over 7,100 years ago. The research helps solve mysteries about human spread across East Asia, showing that humans split into northern and southern branches at least 19,000 years ago, with Tibetans carrying genes from northern East Asians and an unknown 'ghost' group. Scientists sequenced DNA from over 125 individuals who lived in Yunnan between 7,100 and 1,500 years ago, discovering a 7,100-year-old individual genetically distinct from most modern East Asians, potentially representing Tibet's 'ghost' lineage. Researchers suggest this 'ghost' lineage likely diverged from other early Asian people over 40,000 years ago and survived in southern regions due to stable climates during the Ice Age. The findings indicate that Yunnan was an important crossroads where different groups met and mixed, with a unique 'central Yunnan' ancestry appearing around 5,500 years ago, shaping the genes of people speaking Austroasiatic languages today.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Rediscovery of Assam's Daojali Hading site unveils iron elements & 2,700-yr-old artefacts
Guwahati: A team of archaeologists, in collaboration with the District Museum, Haflong, has retraced its steps to Daojali Hading — an ancient Neolithic site in Assam's Dima Hasao district — and unearthed a fresh cache of artefacts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The rediscovery of the site, which was first excavated in the 1960s, has led to a breakthrough: the discovery of iron elements for the first time, potentially marking it as the earliest known site with evidence of iron use in the northeast. The reconnaissance survey, which took place during March and April, happened around 5-6km away from the commercial town of Langting along the NH 27 route. It unearthed artefacts that included a double shouldered Celt — a chiselled stone tool — chord marked potteries, pastels-mortars, a polished stone arrowhead, and more which dated around 2,700 years old. "The range of domestic and utilitarian artefacts confirms the importance of this region, as it is an important archaeological site of the state, which indicates signs of early human population, likely by the Austroasiatic speaking communities, who were among the early settlers, based on archaeological and linguistic data. These discoveries collectively offer valuable insights into the region's prehistoric lithic and emerging metallurgical traditions," said Shring Dao Langthasa, one of the archaeologists, who had led the survey. Among the assemblage, an iron slag and other ferruginous (containing iron ore) materials, were found for the first time. "Until now, the earliest scientifically dated evidence of iron usage in the region came from Meghalaya, estimated to be around 2,300 years old. However, items currently undergoing testing in Dima Hasao district may predate this. If the dates are confirmed, it could mean that the first traces of iron usage in India were discovered in Dima Hasao. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ...," he said. It is one of the eight Neolithic sites identified in the region — Daojali Hading and Sarutaru from Assam, while the others sites are from Meghalaya, two from Manipur, one from Arunachal, and one from Nagaland. "Early findings revealed that the site had ties to other eastern and southeast Asia, likely through ancient trade networks. The discovery of jadeite stones, also found in China and uniquely discovered from Daojali Hading supports the theory," Shring Dao Langthasa said The team involved Shring Dao Langthasa and Bhubanjoy Langthasa of the department of archaeology in collaboration with Bidisha Bordoloi, District Museum officer, along with professors Sukanya Sharma and Marco Mitri.
