Ancient genomes from the Yellow River Bend reveal long-distance population interactions between the Central Plains, Steppe, and southern China

Abstract

The Yellow River Bend, at the northern frontier of Chinese civilization, has witnessed frequent prehistoric interactions between populations from the Central Plains of China and the northern Steppe. However, the related prehistoric population dynamics in this region remain poorly understood. Here, we generate whole-genome data for 23 individuals from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze-Iron Age. We find that Yangshao-related ancestry from the Central Plains constituted a major component of the local gene pool. During the Late Neolithic period, the Yellow River Bend population received indispensable genetic contributions from the Mongolian Steppe. Meanwhile, the Neolithic outliers presented an unexpected genetic influence from southern China that remains throughout the Bronze-Iron Age, implying a long-distance genetic exchange between northern and southern China. Overall, our study underscores the intricate ancient population interactions between the Central Plains, the Steppe, and southern China at the Yellow River Bend since the Neolithic period.