Oroqen DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China · East Asia
The Oroqen are a small Tungusic-speaking people of the Greater and Lesser Khingan mountains in northeastern China, numbering under ten thousand. Until the 1950s most of them lived as hunters in the forests, travelling on horseback. In our model, the Oroqen average is 57.3% Ancient Northeast Asian, 22.6% East Asian and 20.1% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related), one of the most northern profiles of any population living in China: compared with the Xibe (39.1% Ancient Northeast Asian), the northeastern share is larger and the Han-related share much smaller. The ancient results show deep roots in the region: the closest groups are Early Neolithic people from Zhaodong in Heilongjiang (0.047), Neolithic Devil's Gate Cave in the Russian Far East, the very genomes behind our Ancient Northeast Asian reference (0.0471), and hunter-gatherers of the Amur River from about 9,000 years ago. The closest modern averages are other peoples of the Amur basin, the Nanai (0.0386), Ulchi and Hezhen.
- Ancient components in our model: Ancient Northeast Asians 57.3%, East Asian 22.6%, Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 20.1%
- Closest modern population in our data: Nanai, distance 0.0386
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Heilongjiang EN Zhaodong, distance 0.0470
Oroqen 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 Oroqen individuals sampled in China. Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Oroqen average
The ancient make-up of the Oroqen average is led by Ancient Northeast Asians (57.3%), followed by East Asian (22.6%) and Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (20.1%). The Ancient Northeast Asians component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia.
The model fits well (fit distance 0.023), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. 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.
Closest modern populations to Oroqen
Genetically, the Oroqen average sits nearest to Nanai at 0.039, Ulchi at 0.045 and Hezhen at 0.046. On our scale, a distance of 0.039 counts as close. By the tenth closest (Buryat (Duldurginsky)) the distance grows to 0.076, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanai | 0.0386 | Close |
| 2 | Ulchi | 0.0448 | Close |
| 3 | Hezhen | 0.0462 | Close |
| 4 | Daur | 0.0530 | Moderate |
| 5 | Nivkh | 0.0541 | Moderate |
| 6 | Evenk (Khabarovsk) | 0.0579 | Moderate |
| 7 | Negidal | 0.0616 | Moderate |
| 8 | Khamnegan | 0.0725 | Moderate |
| 9 | Mongol (Inner Mongolia Baotu, Outer Mongolia Profile) | 0.0739 | Moderate |
| 10 | Buryat (Duldurginsky) | 0.0764 | Moderate |
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 Oroqen
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Oroqen average is China Heilongjiang EN Zhaodong (Early Neolithic), at 0.047, followed by Primorye N Devils Gate Cave and China Amur River 8900BP. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. 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 Heilongjiang EN Zhaodong | Early Neolithic | 0.0470 |
| 2 | Primorye N Devils Gate Cave | Neolithic | 0.0471 |
| 3 | China Amur River 8900BP | c. 6950 BC | 0.0473 |
| 4 | China Amur River 11000BP | c. 9050 BC | 0.0486 |
| 5 | China Amur River 10600BP | c. 8650 BC | 0.0488 |
| 6 | Primorye MN Boisman | Middle Neolithic | 0.0490 |
| 7 | Primorye IA Pospelovo | Iron Age | 0.0493 |
| 8 | Mongolia N Kherlen River South Bank | Neolithic | 0.0522 |
| 9 | China Heilongjiang MN Zhaodong | Middle Neolithic | 0.0525 |
| 10 | China Heilongjiang LUP Zhaodong | Late Upper Palaeolithic | 0.0525 |
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 Oroqen 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 Oroqen
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Oroqen average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Oroqen 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 Oroqen individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Oroqen. 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 Oroqen average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
More populations from East Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Oroqen?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Oroqen average is about 57.3% Ancient Northeast Asians, 22.6% East Asian and 20.1% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Oroqen?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Oroqen average are Nanai, Ulchi and Hezhen. The closest ancient matches are China Heilongjiang EN Zhaodong, Primorye N Devils Gate Cave and China Amur River 8900BP.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Oroqen?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Oroqen 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 Oroqen ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Oroqen average closely, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
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.