Trans-Eurasian steppe herder and barley farmer migrations shaped paternal genomic dynamics in Northwest China and Hui
Mengge Wang1,2,3, Yuhang Feng1,4, Moru Guo2,3
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.
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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