Ancient genomics reveal the evolutionary history and social practice of Gansu populations during prehistory trans-Eurasian exchange.

Abstract

Beginning approximately 4,000 years ago, southwest-Asian-originating domesticated crops and livestock began appearing in Gansu, a key crossroads in northwestern China, yet the population dynamics underlying these historically transformative events and the associated social practices in the region have not been fully explored. Despite the adoption of western domesticates, genome sequences of 149 individuals from the large Mogou cemetery and ten other sites in Gansu, dating between 4,700 and 3,000 years ago, revealed migrations within East Asian regions but no detectable evidence of genetic influence from western Eurasia, suggesting that early agricultural dispersals may have followed a model distinct from that documented in Europe and Central Asia. The Mogou cemetery represents a continuous community that interacted with surrounding regions but does not exhibit clear matrilocal or patrilocal patterns. We found no strong evidence that co-buried individuals represented biological relatives. Non-local ancestry appears to be linked to lower status burial practices. This study for the first time uncovers the histories of population migration, admixture and dispersal in Gansu from the late Neolithic to Bronze Age, and precisely reconstructs the social structure of the large Mogou cemetery in Gansu. It provides critical genetic evidence for understanding ancient human migration and dispersal as well as early social organization patterns in China.