Trans-Eurasian steppe herder and barley farmer migrations shaped paternal genomic dynamics in Northwest China and Hui evolution
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Laboratory Medicine/Clinical Laboratory Medicine Research Center & Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology/Institute of Rare Diseases, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China.
- 2Department of Forensic Medicine & Western Forensic Medicine Center of China, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400000, China.
- 3Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forensic Science & Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Criminal Investigation Technology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400000, China.
- 4Center for Archaeological Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610000, China.
- 5School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China.
- 6School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030600, China.
- 7State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Natural Bioactive Molecules and Discovery of Innovative Drugs, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Abstract
Human populations across Eurasia have long been connected through the steppe corridor and Silk Road, yet their paternal genetic history remains poorly understood. We integrated large-scale Y-chromosome data, including 1053 previously unreported sequenced genomes, to reconstruct Eurasian spatiotemporal paternal phylogeny. This resource identified 15,810 previously unidentified variants, improving the resolution of Y-chromosome phylogeny and enabling more accurate placement of ancient Eurasians. Paternal lineages in Northwest China changed gradually over time. Bronze Age Xinjiang populations were largely dominated by Xiaohe-related local lineages or western steppe herder lineages, while Iron Age and later populations showed increasing paternal contributions from East Asian farmers, eastern steppe pastoralists, and Southwest/Central Asian farmers. Modern Altaic-speaking populations showed strong paternal continuity with Iron Age ancestry, and northwestern Han displayed a west-to-east gradient of paternal lineages. Four Hui substructures showed differentiated paternal profiles shaped by both migration and cultural assimilation. Overall, the results revealed a complex pattern of population movements shaping paternal ancestry across northwestern East Asia.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026transeurasian,
title = {{Trans-Eurasian steppe herder and barley farmer migrations shaped paternal genomic dynamics in Northwest China and Hui evolution}},
author = {Mengge Wang and Yuhang Feng and Moru Guo and Zhiyong Wang and Yunhui Liu and Jun Yao and Haibing Yuan and Jing Chen and Yuguo Huang and Renkuan Tang and Jiangwei Yan and Bofeng Zhu and YanHuang Consortium and Haohao Dong and Binwu Ying and Chao Liu and Guanglin He},
journal = {Science Advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aeg8897},
url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeg8897},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Trans-Eurasian steppe herder and barley farmer migrations shaped paternal genomic dynamics in Northwest China and Hui evolution
AU - Mengge Wang
AU - Yuhang Feng
AU - Moru Guo
AU - Zhiyong Wang
AU - Yunhui Liu
AU - Jun Yao
AU - Haibing Yuan
AU - Jing Chen
AU - Yuguo Huang
AU - Renkuan Tang
AU - Jiangwei Yan
AU - Bofeng Zhu
AU - YanHuang Consortium
AU - Haohao Dong
AU - Binwu Ying
AU - Chao Liu
AU - Guanglin He
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Science Advances
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aeg8897
UR - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeg8897
AB - Human populations across Eurasia have long been connected through the steppe corridor and Silk Road, yet their paternal genetic history remains poorly understood. We integrated large-scale Y-chromosome data, including 1053 previously unreported sequenced genomes, to reconstruct Eurasian spatiotemporal paternal phylogeny. This resource identified 15,810 previously unidentified variants, improving the resolution of Y-chromosome phylogeny and enabling more accurate placement of ancient Eurasians. Paternal lineages in Northwest China changed gradually over time. Bronze Age Xinjiang populations were largely dominated by Xiaohe-related local lineages or western steppe herder lineages, while Iron Age and later populations showed increasing paternal contributions from East Asian farmers, eastern steppe pastoralists, and Southwest/Central Asian farmers. Modern Altaic-speaking populations showed strong paternal continuity with Iron Age ancestry, and northwestern Han displayed a west-to-east gradient of paternal lineages. Four Hui substructures showed differentiated paternal profiles shaped by both migration and cultural assimilation. Overall, the results revealed a complex pattern of population movements shaping paternal ancestry across northwestern East Asia.
SN - 2375-2548
ER -