Early Neolithic genomes suggest a local origin for millet farmers in East Asia
Millet cultivation in northern China served as a critical catalyst for Neolithic sedentism and East Asian civilization, yet the demographic origins of the inaugural millet farmers remain contentious. We analyze genome-wide data from seven individuals from the Donghulin (DHL), Dengcaogouliang, and Sitai sites, spanning 11,000 to 7300 years ago, and identify the DHL lineage as the predominant genetic structure in inland northern East Asia following the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results demonstrate profound genetic continuity from the Early Holocene through the intensification of millet agriculture, lending robust support to a model of local development rather than demic diffusion from external territories. Furthermore, we identify the earliest occurrence of the hypoxia-adaptive EGLN1 variant in a 9200-year-old DHL individual, suggesting that the physiological adaptations currently prevalent in Tibeto-Burman populations have deep Neolithic roots. Collectively, these findings necessitate a reevaluation of the early demographic and adaptive landscape of East Asia.
Authors
- Zhanhu Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3882-4982)
- Shi Lin Yan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8304-8445)
- Jingning Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1222-6125)
- Tianxing Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3173-3076)
- Xiaohong Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3819-0829)
- Yanyi Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7297-1266)
- Jiaojiao Hao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9120-8772)
- Chunmei Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8227-9719)
- Yingjie Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8206-0554)
- Xiaowen Jia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6812-8112)
- Yuhong Pang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5464-3521)
- Jincheng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9863-8222)
- Tingyu Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1505-9920)
- Tao Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4140-8734)
- Jincheng Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2616-012X)
- Jianing He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5493-966X)
- Tianming Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4966-5974)
- Chaohong Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3244-3663)
- Zhonghua Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5916-2014)
- Qihuang Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5624-4396)
Institutions
- Minzu University of China (CN)
- Yunnan University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Beijing Institute of Genomics (CN)
- Zhengzhou University (CN)
- Cultural Relics Institute Hebei Province (CN)
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (CN)
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (CN)
- Institute of Archaeology (CN)
- Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology (CN)
- Capital Museum (CN)
- Center for Life Sciences (CN)
- Capital Normal University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-10-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef9182
- Primary Topic
- Forensic and Genetic Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences