DataSheet2_Sex-Biased Population Admixture Mediated Subsistence Strategy Transition of Heishuiguo People in Han Dynasty Hexi Corridor.docx

The Hexi Corridor was an important arena for culture exchange and human migration between ancient China and Central and Western Asia. During the Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE), subsistence strategy along the corridor shifted from pastoralism to a mixed pastoralist-agriculturalist economy. Yet the drivers of this transition remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyze the Y-chromosome and mtDNA of 31 Han Dynasty individuals from the Heishuiguo site, located in the center of the Hexi Corridor. A high-resolution analysis of 485 Y-SNPs and mitogenomes was performed, with the Heishuiguo population classified into Early Han and Late Han groups. It is revealed that (1) when dissecting genetic lineages, the Yellow River Basin origin haplogroups (i.e., Oα-M117, Oβ-F46, Oγ-IMS-JST002611, and O2-P164+, M134-) reached relatively high frequencies for the paternal gene pools, while haplogroups of north East Asian origin (e.g., D4 and D5) dominated on the maternal side; (2) in interpopulation comparison using PCA and Fst heatmap, the Heishuiguo population shifted from Southern-Northern Han cline to Northern-Northwestern Han/Hui cline with time, indicating genetic admixture between Yellow River immigrants and natives. By comparison, in maternal mtDNA views, the Heishuiguo population was closely clustered with certain Mongolic-speaking and Northwestern Han populations and exhibited genetic continuity through the Han Dynasty, which suggests that Heishuiguo females originated from local or neighboring regions. Therefore, a sex-biased admixture pattern is observed in the Heishuiguo population. Additionally, genetic contour maps also reveal the same male-dominated migration from the East to Hexi Corridor during the Han Dynasty. This is also consistent with historical records, especially excavated bamboo slips. Combining historical records, archeological findings, stable isotope analysis, and paleoenvironmental studies, our uniparental genetic investigation on the Heishuiguo population reveals how male-dominated migration accompanied with lifestyle adjustments brought by these eastern groups may be the main factor affecting the subsistence strategy transition along the Han Dynasty Hexi Corridor.

河西走廊作为古代中国与中亚及西亚之间文化交流与人类迁徙的重要场所，其历史地位不可忽视。在汉王朝（公元前202年至公元220年）时期，走廊的生存策略由游牧经济转变为游牧与农耕相结合的经济形态。然而，这一转变的驱动力至今仍不甚明了。本研究通过对位于河西走廊中心的黑水国遗址出土的31具汉王朝个体的Y染色体和mtDNA进行分析，对485个Y-SNPs和线粒体基因组进行了高分辨率分析，并将黑水国人群划分为早期汉和晚期汉两个群体。研究结果表明：（1）在遗传谱系的分析中，黄河流域起源的哈普洛群（即Oα-M117、Oβ-F46、Oγ-IMS-JST002611和O2-P164+、M134-）在父系基因库中达到相对较高的频率，而东北亚起源的哈普洛群（如D4和D5）在母系方面占据主导地位；（2）通过主成分分析（PCA）和Fst热图进行的人口间比较显示，黑水国人群随着时间的推移从南方-北方汉族过渡到北方-西北汉族/回族过渡，表明黄河移民与当地居民的基因混合。相比之下，在母系线粒体DNA视角下，黑水国人群与某些蒙古语族和西北汉族人群紧密聚集，并在汉王朝时期展现出遗传连续性，这表明黑水国女性起源于本地或邻近地区。因此，在黑水国人群中观察到一种性别偏向的混合模式。此外，遗传轮廓图也揭示了汉王朝时期从东向西的男性主导的迁徙模式，这与历史记录，尤其是出土的竹简文献相一致。结合历史记录、考古发现、稳定同位素分析和古环境研究，我们对黑水国人群的单倍型遗传研究揭示了男性主导的迁徙以及随之而来的生活方式调整可能成为影响汉王朝河西走廊生存策略转变的主要因素。