Where do people from Southeast Asia come from?

A fascinating new study has potentially unveiled the secret of the origins of Southeast Asians, solving a long debate about the prehistory of the region

Southeast Asia is a melting pot of genetic diversity. One of the big questions about the origins of this diversity has not been solved yet. In the revolutionary study The prehistoric settlement of South Asia published in the scientific journal Science 43 researchers from Thailand, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Germany, United Kingdom and Denmark has brought this issue to light

. Two major competing theories on the Southeast Asian population have long dominated academic discussions. Both are based on the fact that the first migration in the region was made up of descendants of the first people who left Africa 60,000 to 70,000 years ago. But from there, theories follow their own path.

One theory says that people of Hòabìnhian culture – the original hunter-gatherers who populated Southeast Asia about 44,000 years ago – gradually developed an agricultural society. According to another theory, farmers in present-day China hunted the Hòabìnhians about 4,000 years ago.

It was thought that the descendants of the Hòabìnhiens had remained in isolated pockets in Southeast Asia where today are natives with physical characteristics similar to African Pygmies and Australian Aboriginals in places such as the South. 39, Andaman Archipelago and the Philippines.

However, according to the head of the study, Professor Eske Willerslev of the University of Cambridge and the University of Copenhagen, neither theory can explain the four migrations

Extracting old DNA from buried human teeth and bones for thousands of years in humid tropical environments is not an easy task because DNA breaks down fast under these conditions. However, the researchers were able to extract samples of ancient 8,000-year-old human remains from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, Japan, and Vietnam, and found that they have not been found. compared to the DNA of Southeast Asians. The results showed a more complex picture of the origin of genetic diversity. According to the researchers, the current genetic model in Southeast Asia has been formed by four migrations.

The first was made by descendants of the first peoples who emigrated from Africa and settled in Southeast Asia about 40,000 years ago. These Hòabìnhians were spread throughout Southeast Asia until 4000 years ago, when the second migration – the farmers of present-day China – migrated to the region, bringing rice with them.

A third migration, originating from Taiwan and spreading Austronesian languages ​​throughout South-East Asia, would have taken place 4000 years ago, supported by the former Austronesian individuals present. in the northern Philippines about 2000 years ago. Finally, the arrival of a new East Asian genetic component centered in northern Vietnam historically accords with the imperial expansion of the Han Chinese

"The populations that merged to form Southeast Asians came from two genetic lineages that diverged for a long time. "The first are the Hòabìnhians, who we find are genetically more similar to the Andaman Islands' Onge," said Hugh McColl's Ph.D. 39, University of Copenhagen, one of the main authors of the study

.and the second, the new farmers of the north, closer to the Tianyuan of East Asia's old 40,000 years ago, "he added.

The researchers also found archeological evidence linking these populations, to refer to is genetic, although we detect parallels with theories based on language and pottery "said McCo ll. "Among the ancient individuals, the most genetically divergent populations were the Hibiscan hunter-gatherers and the peasants of East Asia, but in the many waves of migration from the north, there was also a considerable genetic diversity. "

So what happened with the Hòabìnhiens when peasants from East Asia arrived 4000 years ago? Were they expelled from the area? Not enough. DNA analyzes show that Hòabìnhians and migrant farmers interpenetrate, both contributing to the diverse genetic pool of Southeast Asia.

This new study could be the beginning of a much more complex study to come, according to McColl

. Previously, theories were based on phenotypic differences (that is, on your physical appearance) and on language in Southeast Asia and more recently on current genetic data, "he said [19659004]allowing us to directly investigate the complexities of the genetic history of Southeast Asia.Our work provides a valuable set of baseline data for future studies on the subject. 39, history of Southeast Asia. "