Old DNA reveals that Southeast Asians are direct descendants of at least four prehistoric populations

Southeast Asians are much more diverse than previously thought, according to new research done by experts examining the ancient origins of the world. man in this region

. Southeast Asians are the direct descendants of at least four prehistoric peoples who have mingled with the end of stone age at the Iron Age.

The results establish a common thread in the debate about the origins of Southeast Asians. Since 1965, Southeast Asia is one of the most underrepresented regions in the field of ancient DNA. The tropical region is characterized by a hot and humid climate, making the preservation and extraction of DNA a challenge for the experts.

In a new study published in the journal Science a team of international scientists collected samples at various locations in the region to perform a thorough analysis of ancient DNA found in the region.

The analysis shows that there were two waves of mixing between the old populations. The first wave took place 4,500 years ago when the Hoabinhians, a hunter-gatherer society characterized by their special stone tools, mingled with Chinese rice farmers

. further north is settling in Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Anterior Theories Debunked

The results of the study return the tables to the two most popular theories of Southeast Asian origins. The first theory suggests that present-day Southeast Asians are descendants of the Hoabinhians, who appeared in the region 44,000 years ago.

The Hoabinhians are defined by the use of sumatralith, a broad stone tool, flat and long carved stones of the river. Proponents of this theory say that the Hoabinhians developed agricultural methods without the intervention of strangers

. Contrary to the first theory, the second theory suggests that rice farmers in eastern China have displaced Hoabinhians and introduced agriculture to the region 4,500 years ago. "We have shown that no interpretation corresponds to the complexity of the history of Southeast Asia," says Hugh McColl, Ph.D. researcher at the Museum's Geoengineering Center. 39, Natural History of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. "Hoabinhian hunter-gatherers and East Asian farmers have contributed to the current diversity of Southeast Asia, with other migrations affecting the islands of Southeast Asia. East and Vietnam. "

Researchers studied the DNA of a wide variety of human fossils found in Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The oldest is over 8000 years old

Most of the samples are part of the Duckworth collection of the University of Cambridge. It is one of the largest deposits of ancient human remains in the world. The researchers also analyzed the DNA extracted from Hoabinhian fossils and DNA from the remains of a Jomon man found in Japan.

Overall, researchers sequenced a total of 26 human genomes. They were then compared with DNA samples from Southeast Asia from the entire region.

"We have put a lot of effort into recovering old DNA from tropical Southeast Asia," says lead author Eske Williams of the University from Cambridge, University of Copenhagen and St. John's College. "The fact that we could get 26 human genomes and shed light on the incredible genetic wealth of the groups in the region today is amazing."

First Whole Genome Analysis of an Ancestor of Southeast Asia

Results Are Consistent Previous research was conducted by a separate group of scientists from Harvard Medical School and the US. University of Vienna

. In May 2018, the researchers completed the first successful genomic sequencing of old DNA obtained in Southeast Asia. By analyzing the DNA of 18 ancient human remains aged 4100 years, they concluded that ancient peoples populated Southeast Asia in three waves.

The first wave began when a hunter-gatherer population arrived 45,000 years ago. the appearance of the Hoabinhians. It was followed by a second wave 4,500 years ago made up of Chinese farmers who drifted into the area and mixed with Neolithic hunter-gatherers.

The third wave took place 3000 years ago. This has been characterized by people from China speaking different languages ​​who have settled in Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

Researchers say that much of the modern population in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the Andaman Islands comes directly from former food populations. In contrast, Europeans trace only a tiny portion of their ancestry to hunter-gatherers

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