2010-05-10/kloc-0:16: 59 Source: Wuhan Evening News Click to view comments from users >>
Half-blood "The paternal line is usually western, while the maternal line is half-blood."
Zhou Hui, a professor at the School of Life Sciences of Jilin University, and his research team, together with scientists from Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology, Fudan University and Pennsylvania State University, jointly published an article in the latest issue of the British BMC Biology Journal, pointing out that the mummies in Xiaohe Cemetery in Xinjiang are mixed-race, and they have both European and Siberian genetic markers.
Since 2000, Zhou Hui has undertaken five major scientific research projects related to archaeological DNA research at or above the provincial level. At present, more than 40 academic papers have been published, and won the third prize of scientific and technological progress of the State Education Commission and the second prize of the second Northeast Invention Exhibition.
According to Zhou Hui, in 2005, she and her research team began to analyze the genes of early mummies in Xiaohe Cemetery. After more than four years of research, 20 DNA samples were finally successfully extracted. Related studies have found that most of these mummies have the DNA characteristics of both Asians and Western Europeans, among which Asians are mainly from northern China and Lake Baikal, while Western Europeans are mainly from Europe.
Among the genes of mummies in this area, there are both western and eastern genetic characteristics.
Zhou Hui said that the ancient human group in Xinjiang belongs to a mixture of eastern and western people. "This shows that as early as 4,000 years ago, when there was no written record, people from the East and the West began to associate, live together and have blood relations."
Scientists' recent genetic research found that these people have obvious oriental ancestry, accounting for about 7 1% of the early ancient corpses in Xiaohe cemetery on average.
"Most of these genes are extracted from the bones and teeth of mummies," said Li Chunxiang, a student from Hui Zhou who participated in the research. "To be exact, the origin of this oriental lineage is from northern China to Lake Baikal."
Tarim Basin, located in the northwest of China, is one of the important contact points between East and West on Eurasia, and an important part of the ancient Silk Road, which has played an important role in the history of population migration, cultural exchange and expansion between East and West.
Scientists speculate that the early people in Xiaohe were probably closely related to the bronze age people in southern Siberia. The first mixed place may be in a certain area in southern Siberia, where Asians who migrated westward met Europeans who migrated eastward and married them.
"Judging from the research results, the paternal line of Xiaohe people at that time was generally of western descent, and the maternal line was of mixed blood. Although the proportion of oriental genealogy is high, its diversity is low, which shows that it has family characteristics. Therefore, this mixed mode of East and West does not stem from war, but from intermarriage. In terms of the specifications of tombs, women from the East have a higher status. " Li Chunxiang said.