Xibe DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China · East Asia
The Xibe are a Tungusic-speaking people originally from western Manchuria. In 1764 the Qing court sent thousands of Xibe soldiers and family members to guard the Ili valley in Xinjiang, and their descendants there still speak Xibe, so close to Manchu that it is the main living form of that language; other Xibe communities remain in the northeast. In our model, the Xibe average is 55.3% East Asian and 39.1% Ancient Northeast Asian, with small Arctic Siberian (2.9%), steppe (1.7%) and Caucasus hunter-gatherer (1.0%) shares. That is a far more northeastern profile than the Manchu, who are 95.1% East Asian in the same model. The closest modern averages are Mongol groups of eastern Inner Mongolia, a Mongola sample (0.0227), the Khorchin and Naiman, and the Daur, rather than any Han group. The closest ancient groups include a Northern Zhou to Sui-era population with a Mongolic-mixed profile from Xianyang (0.0289) and Bronze Age Longtoushan in Inner Mongolia (0.033).
- Largest ancient components in our model: East Asian 55.3%, Ancient Northeast Asians 39.1%, Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 2.9%
- Closest modern population in our data: Mongola, distance 0.0227
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou-Sui Dynasty Xianyang (Mongolic-Mixed Profile), distance 0.0289
This page sums up what the DNA of the Xibe sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in China, listed in the G25 sheet as "Xibo", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Xibe average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Xibe average comes out as 55.3% East Asian, 39.1% Ancient Northeast Asians and 2.9% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related). The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia.
Smaller traces of Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related), Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and Caucasus hunter-gatherers (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.021), 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.
Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report
Closest modern populations to Xibe
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Mongola first for Xibe, at 0.023, then Mongol (Khorchin Inner Mongolia) and Mongol (Naiman Inner Mongolia). By the tenth closest (Korean (Yanbian Antu)) the distance grows to 0.059, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mongola | 0.0227 | Very close |
| 2 | Mongol (Khorchin Inner Mongolia) | 0.0278 | Close |
| 3 | Mongol (Naiman Inner Mongolia) | 0.0330 | Close |
| 4 | Daur | 0.0367 | Close |
| 5 | Mongol (Inner Mongolia Baotu, Inner Mongolia Profile) | 0.0372 | Close |
| 6 | Hezhen | 0.0414 | Close |
| 7 | Baima | 0.0559 | Moderate |
| 8 | Yugur (Western) | 0.0580 | Moderate |
| 9 | Tu | 0.0592 | Moderate |
| 10 | Korean (Yanbian Antu) | 0.0593 | 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 Xibe
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Xibe average is China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou-Sui Dynasty Xianyang (Mongolic-Mixed Profile) (Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD), at 0.029, followed by China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Inner Mongolia Profile) and China Inner Mongolia BA Longtoushan. 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 Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou-Sui Dynasty Xianyang (Mongolic-Mixed Profile) | Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD | 0.0289 |
| 2 | China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Inner Mongolia Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0322 |
| 3 | China Inner Mongolia BA Longtoushan | Bronze Age | 0.0330 |
| 4 | Mongolia Late Medieval Khitan Period (Han-Mixed Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0330 |
| 5 | China Western Liao River MN | Middle Neolithic | 0.0369 |
| 6 | China Hebei LN Xiaoheyan Jiangjialiang | Late Neolithic | 0.0379 |
| 7 | China Shandong N Houli Boshan | Neolithic | 0.0382 |
| 8 | China Hebei MN Hongshan Leigongshan | Middle Neolithic | 0.0416 |
| 9 | China Amur River 9200BP | c. 7250 BC | 0.0426 |
| 10 | China Xiaogao N | Neolithic | 0.0438 |
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 Xibe 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 Xibe
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Xibe average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Xibe 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 Xibe individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Xibe. 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 Xibe 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 Xibe?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Xibe average is about 55.3% East Asian, 39.1% Ancient Northeast Asians and 2.9% 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 Xibe?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Xibe average are Mongola, Mongol (Khorchin Inner Mongolia) and Mongol (Naiman Inner Mongolia). The closest ancient matches are China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou-Sui Dynasty Xianyang (Mongolic-Mixed Profile), China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Inner Mongolia Profile) and China Inner Mongolia BA Longtoushan.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Xibe?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Xibe 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 Xibe ancestry?
Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report is our regional report for this part of the world. On the Xibe average its fit test reads partial, so check your own DNA first: the free Report Finder runs that test on your file.
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.