Miao DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China · East Asia
The Miao are one of China's largest ethnic minorities, with about 11 million people, most of them in the hills of Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan and Guangxi, and they are known for their silver ornaments and elaborate embroidery. Miao languages belong to the Hmong-Mien family, and the Hmong communities of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand formed when Miao groups moved south from China, mostly in the 18th and 19th centuries. East Asian ancestry makes up 69.4% of the Miao average in our model, with 19.9% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer and 10.7% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmer. Compared with the Hmong average (58.8% East Asian), the Chinese Miao sit closer to the northern Han reference, and their closest modern averages show long contact with neighbours in Guizhou: another Miao sample (0.01), then Tujia, local Han, Dong and even Mongol and Manchu communities settled in Guizhou, all within about 0.015. The closest ancient groups are Song to Ming-era people from Songshan in Guizhou (0.0203).
- Ancient components in our model: East Asian 69.4%, Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 19.9%, Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers 10.7%
- Closest modern population in our data: Miao (Guizhou Tongren Songtao), distance 0.0100
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Guizhou HP Song-Ming Dynasty Songshan, distance 0.0203
Miao is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Miao individuals sampled in China. Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Miao average
The ancient make-up of the Miao average is led by East Asian (69.4%), followed by Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers (19.9%) and Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers (10.7%). The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers share (19.9%) reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.028): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report
Closest modern populations to Miao
Genetically, the Miao average sits nearest to Miao (Guizhou Tongren Songtao) at 0.010, Tujia (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou) at 0.012 and Han (Yunnan Guangnan) at 0.013. On our scale, a distance of 0.010 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Tujia (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou) (0.012), Han (Yunnan Guangnan) (0.013) and Dong (Guizhou Tongren) (0.013). Even the tenth closest, Han (Guangxi Tianlin), is only 0.016 away: Miao belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miao (Guizhou Tongren Songtao) | 0.0100 | Very close |
| 2 | Tujia (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou) | 0.0122 | Very close |
| 3 | Han (Yunnan Guangnan) | 0.0129 | Very close |
| 4 | Dong (Guizhou Tongren) | 0.0129 | Very close |
| 5 | Mongol (Bijie) | 0.0130 | Very close |
| 6 | Manchu (Guizhou Bijie) | 0.0150 | Very close |
| 7 | Han (Beijing, Southern China Profile) | 0.0154 | Very close |
| 8 | Qiang (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou) | 0.0158 | Very close |
| 9 | Tujia | 0.0160 | Very close |
| 10 | Han (Guangxi Tianlin) | 0.0163 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Miao
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Miao average is China Guizhou HP Song-Ming Dynasty Songshan (Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD), at 0.020, followed by China Guizhou HP Song Dynasty Songshan and China Guizhou HP Ming Dynasty Songshan. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Guizhou HP Song-Ming Dynasty Songshan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0203 |
| 2 | China Guizhou HP Song Dynasty Songshan | Historical period | 0.0235 |
| 3 | China Guizhou HP Ming Dynasty Songshan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0236 |
| 4 | China Guizhou HP Yuan-Ming Dynasty Songshan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0291 |
| 5 | China Henan HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Lusixi | Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 AD | 0.0294 |
| 6 | China Guangxi HP Ming Dynasty Huaqiao | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0368 |
| 7 | China Henan LN Shijiahe Baligang | Late Neolithic | 0.0374 |
| 8 | China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Baitaishan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0377 |
| 9 | China Chuanyun Historic | Historical period | 0.0377 |
| 10 | China Inner Mongolia HP Wei Dynasty Qilangshan | Historical period | 0.0384 |
Ancient DNA from China
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,865 individuals excavated in present-day China, dated from about 100,550 BC to 1823 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O2a (168), C2b (74) and N1b (59), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are D4 (208), C4 (121) and B4 (72). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Miao population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| D4 | 208 | NE34 NE-5 NE5_AmurRiver |
| C4 | 121 | WQM4 NE9 NE-9 |
| B4 | 72 | Tianyuan BS Dushan4-1 |
| F1 | 68 | NE19 WGM35 18R21265 |
| D5 | 50 | BLSM14 BLSM27S BLSM45 |
| U5 | 49 | NLKG218_M5-1 G218M5-3N C3340 |
| G2 | 45 | NE56 JZ24089582-C24-22 S96 |
| A | 35 | M89_Houtaomuga JZ24089566-C8-28 ZJG7 |
Ancient DNA studies on China
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Genomic characterization of historical Jinlingnan individuals: insights into genetic continuity and trans-Eurasian signals in eastern China (2026)
- Go north: Isotope and aDNA analysis reconstructing the life history of a first-generation immigrant in the early Western Zhou Yan state (2026)
- A prehistoric East-Asian Yersinia pestis genome and a ~5.3 ka trans-Eurasian expansion of plague (2026)
- Genomic signatures of female exogamy and cultural interaction in a Tang Dynasty patrilineal clan (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,865 from China.
Compare yourself with Miao
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Miao average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Miao and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Miao individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Miao. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Miao average. Your own DNA has its own story: Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Sinosphere / East Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Yellow & Yangtze River Neolithic, Erlitou/Shang/Zhou dynasties, Han Dynasty, Yayoi migration, Tang Dynasty, Manchu/Qing era) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from East Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Miao?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Miao average is about 69.4% East Asian, 19.9% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers and 10.7% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Miao?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Miao (Guizhou Tongren Songtao)), the closest modern populations to the Miao average are Tujia (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou), Han (Yunnan Guangnan) and Dong (Guizhou Tongren). The closest ancient matches are China Guizhou HP Song-Ming Dynasty Songshan, China Guizhou HP Song Dynasty Songshan and China Guizhou HP Ming Dynasty Songshan.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Miao?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Miao average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Miao ancestry?
For the Miao average, the regional report to choose is Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.