Ancient genomes revealed the genetic history and interaction of prehistoric populations in the Ngari region of the western Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

The Ngari Prefecture is located in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau. Despite its high altitude and harsh natural environment, it occupies a strategic position adjacent to northern Nepal, India, and Ladakh. As a crossroads connecting the Tibetan Plateau, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Central Asia, and South Asia, it likely played an important role in early human migration. Archaeological studies in recent years have revealed that even before the establishment of the Tubo Dynasty in the seventh century, the Ngari region maintained extensive cultural connections with Kashmir, Nepal, Xinjiang, and other regions. Furthermore, its subsistence economy reflected strong interactions between Ngari and northern South Asia. Recent paleogenetic studies have demonstrated that the genetic components of the ancient population in the Ngari region originated from the southern part of the plateau, with multiple population expansions occurring from south to west. These studies have also confirmed that alongside cultural exchanges, the Ngari region began experiencing complex genetic interactions with ancient populations from neighboring Central and South Asia at least 2,300 years ago. In this review, we integrate findings from paleogenetics, archaeology, archaeobotany, and zooarchaeology in the Ngari region to systematically examine the genetic origins of the ancient western plateau population and analyze both intraregional cultural-genetic interactions within the Tibetan Plateau and those between Ngari populations and external groups. This synthesis provides important insights for understanding the complex relationships between ancient population movements and interactions in the western Tibetan Plateau, as well as the transformation patterns of regional archaeological cultures and subsistence economies.

Keywords: Ngari prefecture; Tibetan Plateau; ancient DNA; archaeological culture; subsistence strategy.