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A mitochondrial revelation of early human migrations to the Tibetan Plateau before and after the last glacial maximum
Author(s) -
Qin Zhendong,
Yang Yajun,
Kang Longli,
Yan Shi,
Cho Kelly,
Cai Xiaoyun,
Lu Yan,
Zheng Hongxiang,
Zhu Dongchen,
Fei Dongmei,
Li Shilin,
Jin Li,
Li Hui
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.21350
Subject(s) - plateau (mathematics) , last glacial maximum , haplogroup , phylogeography , mitochondrial dna , geography , population , ancient dna , genetic diversity , glacial period , biology , haplotype , paleontology , demography , genotype , phylogenetic tree , gene , genetics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , sociology
As the highest plateau surrounded by towering mountain ranges, the Tibetan Plateau was once considered to be one of the last populated areas of modern humans. However, this view has been tremendously changed by archeological, linguistic, and genetic findings in the past 60 years. Nevertheless, the timing and routes of entry of modern humans into the Tibetan Plateau is still unclear. To make these problems clear, we carried out high‐resolution mitochondrial‐DNA (mtDNA) analyses on 562 Tibeto‐Burman inhabitants from nine different regions across the plateau. By examining the mtDNA haplogroup distributions and their principal components, we demonstrated that maternal diversity on the plateau reflects mostly a northern East Asian ancestry. Furthermore, phylogeographic analysis of plateau‐specific sublineages based on 31 complete mtDNA sequences revealed two primary components: pre‐last glacial maximum (LGM) inhabitants and post‐LGM immigrants. Also, the analysis of one major pre‐LGM sublineage A10 showed a strong signal of post‐LGM population expansion (about 15,000 years ago) and greater diversity in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau, indicating the southern plateau as a refuge place when climate dramatically changed during LGM. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.