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Comparative Study
. 1998 Sep 29;95(20):11763-8.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.95.20.11763.

Genetic relationship of populations in China

J Y Chu  1 , W Huang, S Q Kuang, J M Wang, J J Xu, Z T Chu, Z Q Yang, K Q Lin, P Li, M Wu, Z C Geng, C C Tan, R F Du, L Jin
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Genetic relationship of populations in China

J Y Chu et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

Despite the fact that the continuity of morphology of fossil specimens of modern humans found in China has repeatedly challenged the Out-of-Africa hypothesis, Chinese populations are underrepresented in genetic studies. Genetic profiles of 28 populations sampled in China supported the distinction between southern and northern populations, while the latter are biphyletic. Linguistic boundaries are often transgressed across language families studied, reflecting substantial gene flow between populations. Nevertheless, genetic evidence does not support an independent origin of Homo sapiens in China. The phylogeny also suggested that it is more likely that ancestors of the populations currently residing in East Asia entered from Southeast Asia.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phylogenies constructed by using the neighbor-joining method based on 30 microsatellites (A) and 15 microsatellites (B), respectively (–14). Numbers on the branches are bootstrap values based on 500 replications. See text for discussion of clusters S1, etc. indicated on the right.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Hypothetical ancestral migration routes to the Far East. Refer to Table 1 for names of the numbered populations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Phylogenetic relationships of worldwide populations under two hypotheses; see text for discussion.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • The Chinese human genome diversity project.
    Cavalli-Sforza LL. Cavalli-Sforza LL. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Sep 29;95(20):11501-3. doi: 10.1073/pnas.95.20.11501. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998. PMID: 9751692 Free PMC article. Review. No abstract available.

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