Analyses of Genetic Structure of Tibeto-Burman Populations Reveals Sex-Biased Admixture in Southern Tibeto-Burmans

Bo Wen, Xuanhua Xie, Song Gao, Hui Li, Hong Shi, Xiufeng Song, Tingzhi Qian, Chunjie Xiao, Jianzhong Jin, Bing Su, Daru Lu, Ranajit Chakraborty, Li Jin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

145 Scopus citations

Abstract

An unequal contribution of male and female lineages from parental populations to admixed ones is not uncommon in the American continents, as a consequence of directional gene flow from European men into African and Hispanic Americans in the past several centuries. However, little is known about sex-biased admixture in East Asia, where substantial migrations are recorded. Tibeto-Burman (TB) populations were historically derived from ancient tribes of northwestern China and subsequently moved to the south, where they admixed with the southern natives during the past 2,600 years. They are currently extensively distributed in China and Southeast Asia. In this study, we analyze the variations of 965 Y chromosomes and 754 mtDNAs in >20 TB populations from China. By examining the haplotype group distributions of Y-chromosome and mtDNA markers and their principal components, we show that the genetic structure of the extant southern Tibeto-Burman (STB) populations were primarily formed by two parental groups: northern immigrants and native southerners. Furthermore, the admixture has a bias between male and female lineages, with a stronger influence of northern immigrants on the male lineages (∼62%) and with the southern natives contributing more extensively to the female lineages (∼56%) in the extant STBs. This is the first genetic evidence revealing sex-biased admixture in STB populations, which has genetic, historical, and anthropological implications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)856-865
Number of pages10
JournalAmerican Journal of Human Genetics
Volume74
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2004

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