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Two competing theories about the human occupation of Southeast Asia were contradicted by a revolutionary analysis of ancient DNA extracted from 8,000-year-old skeletons.
Southeast Asia is one of the most genetically based regions For more than 100 years, scientists have disagreed about the theory of the region's population origins.
According to one theory, indigenous Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers who inhabited Southeast Asia 44,000 years ago adopted independent farming practices. contribution of the first farmers of East Asia. Another theory, called the "two-layer model", supports the view that migrant rice farmers in present-day China have replaced the indigenous hunter-gatherers of Hòabìnhian.
Academics from around the world collaborated on new research ] Science which found that no theory is completely accurate. Their study found that current populations in Southeast Asia are derived from at least four older populations.
The DNA of the human skeletons of Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos and Japan dates back to 8000 years was extracted for study – scientists had previously managed to sequence than 4,000-year-old samples from the region. The samples also included the DNA of Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers and a Japanese Jomon – a first scientist, revealing a suspected genetic link between the two populations.
In total, 26 old sequences of the human genome were studied by the group. The pioneering research is particularly impressive because the heat and humidity of Southeast Asia make it one of the most challenging environments for DNA preservation, which poses huge challenges for scientists. 19659003] Professor Eske Willerslev, who holds both positions at St John's College, University of Cambridge, and the University of Copenhagen, led the international study
He explained "We are doing a lot of work to recover old DNA, and South East Asia could shed new light on this area of rich human genetics. Human genomes and shed light on the incredible genetic richness of the groups in the region today is amazing. "
Hugh McColl, PhD student at the Center for GeoGenetics at the Museum of Natural History of the Denmark "By sequencing 26 ancient human genomes – 25 from Southeast Asia, a Japanese Japan – we showed that neither of the two interpretations matched the complexity of Southeast Asia. . history. Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers and East Asian farmers have contributed to the current diversity of Southeast Asia, with other migrations affecting the islands of East Asia. Southeast Asia and Vietnam. Our findings help solve one of the longest-running prehistoric controversies in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Fernando Racimo, Assistant Professor at the GeoGenetic Center of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Copenhagen, said: The history of human occupation in Asia of Southeast remains highly debated. Our research focused on the Iron Age Hòabìnhian and found that current populations in Southeast Asia are derived from at least four ancient populations. It's a much more complex model than previously thought.
Some of the samples used in the two-and-a-half year study came from The Duckworth Collection of the University of Cambridge, which is one of the largest deposits of human remains in the world. Professor Marta Mirazón Lahr, Director of Laboratory Duckworth and one of the authors of the article, said: "This study addresses a major question about the origins of the diversity of peoples of South Asia -Is, as well as on the old relations between distant populations, such as Jomon and Hòabìnhian foragers, before agriculture.The fact that we learn so much from ancient genomes, like that of Gua Cha, emphasizes the importance of Amazing Collections Such As The Duckworth. "
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Header Image – Skull of a Hòabìnhian Person from Archaeological Site of Gua Cha, Malaysian Peninsula. Credit: Fabio Lahr
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