Male-driven admixture facilitated subsistence shift in northern China

Area of Science:

• Archaeogenetics
• Human Population Genetics
• Prehistoric Agriculture

Background:

• Agriculture's adoption varied globally, necessitating regional studies.
• Ancient genome sequencing offers insights into population dynamics and cultural interactions.
• Sex-biased admixture analysis reveals prehistoric social structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate sex-biased genetic admixture in northern China's Neolithic agricultural transition.
• Examine genetic contributions from male and female sources across different time periods.
• Compare northern China's farming transition with other regions like Europe.

Main Methods:

• Utilized publicly available ancient genome data from northern China.
• Analyzed autosomal and X chromosomal variation for genetic admixture.
• Focused on the Late Neolithic period and millet farming expansion.

Main Results:

• Identified a significant male influx from the Yellow River basin to the West Liao River basin.
• Observed this male influx coincided with increased reliance on millet farming.
• Found distinct patterns compared to European agricultural transitions, which lacked sex-biased admixture.

Conclusions:

• Northern China's agricultural transition involved sex-biased migration, primarily male.
• Millet farming's spread was associated with specific social and migration patterns.
• Regional diversity in agricultural adoption highlights varied human societal responses.