[Reading Science] "Tibetans Are Descendants of Chinese"... Has the Theory of All Things Originating from China Flared Up Again?

Chinese Academy of Sciences Claims Through Ancient Tibetan Genetic Analysis
Paper Published on 17th in 'Science Advances'
"Descendants of East Asians, Unlike Neighboring Regions Such as India"

When and where did modern Tibetans living on the Tibetan Plateau, including the Himalayas, come from? A Chinese research team has attracted attention by presenting findings that they are descendants of Northeast Asians, specifically Chinese people. Tibet is currently a place where independence struggles are taking place, centered around the Xinjiang and Uighur regions, against Chinese rule. This has been pointed out as the genetic version of the recently popular "All Things Originated from China" theory in China.

A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing published a paper with these findings on the 17th (local time) in the international academic journal Science Advances. They collected 89 human skeletal remains dating from 100 to 5,100 years ago excavated from 29 sites on the Tibetan Plateau and conducted genetic sequencing analysis.

Modern Tibetans. Archive photo.

According to the international academic journal Nature, the Tibetan Plateau is located in the northern part of the Himalayas, covering an area of about 2.5 million square kilometers. It is a very high-altitude, dry, and cold region, making it difficult for humans to inhabit. However, traces of human habitation have been found in this area since prehistoric times. For example, Denisovans, known as a close relative species between Neanderthals and modern human ancestors, were confirmed to have lived on the Tibetan Plateau about 160,000 years ago. Stone tools made 30,000 to 40,000 years ago were also discovered in this region, proving that humans have lived on the Tibetan Plateau since early times.

However, there has been ongoing debate about when, where, and who built permanent settlements on the Tibetan Plateau. Historical records indicate that people began living on the Tibetan Plateau only about 2,500 years ago. On the other hand, dating of hand and footprints left in sediment suggests that people may have settled here as early as 7,400 years ago.

The research team stated that genetic analysis confirmed that these ancient people had strong genetic links with the current Tibetan, Sherpa, and Qiang ethnic groups living on the Tibetan Plateau. In particular, comparing the genes of the oldest skeletal remains with those of ancient and modern ethnic groups across Asia revealed that the ancestors of modern Tibetans migrated from East Asia or Northeast Asia.

This contrasted with regions south of the Tibetan Plateau, such as India, where descendants of migrants from East Eurasia (Xinjiang, Mongolia, Manchuria, etc.) or Central Asia live. In fact, the research team identified traces of interaction between existing settlers and new immigrants about 4,700 years ago through genetic analysis. The team interpreted this as a result of exchanges with the upper Yellow River region, corresponding to northeastern China. Notably, a significant increase in gene flow from East Asia was detected during this period, lasting about 700 years.

Pu Qiaomei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, "Evidence of such interregional exchanges can already be found in pottery and other crafts," adding, "This study confirms that in addition to cultural and knowledge exchanges, there was also active human interaction between China and Tibet."

The study also sheds light on how people who settled in Tibet adapted to the low-oxygen environment. Today, most Tibetans carry a variant of the EPAS1 gene that allows adaptation to hypoxic conditions. This gene variant is believed to have originated from Denisovans. The research team found that the frequency of the EPAS1 gene variant increased over time in the skeletal remains. About 2,500 years ago, only about one-third of the remains had this gene variant, but in remains from 1,600 to 1,700 years ago, the possession rate rose to 60%. This is lower than the 86% found in modern Tibetans and provides evidence that natural selection has continued to promote this gene variant among Tibetans until recently. The research team plans to conduct further studies to determine when this EPAS1 gene variant first appeared.