Abstract
This study investigates the genetic relationship of the Mazu peoples on the east coast of China in the Taiwan Strait. Using partial and complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences, we compare Mazu with surrounding East Asia populations. Mazu shows no exclusive affinities with either Southeast or Northeast Asia. High genetic diversity and a very high number of exclusive haplogroups of various Asian origins suggest that Mazu resulted from a process of continuous resettlement that started when it first became an archipelago at the end of the last glacial maximum and that continued till the last century. As a result, genetic drift did not contribute to an exclusive Mazu profile. The structure of haplogroups that show signatures of the Neolithic era (N9a10a), or influx from Island Southeast Asia (F1a4a) suggest recent gene flows and Mazu relationship with it's pre-Neolithic era (presence of pre-E1a or R9/pre-F from Liangdao man) was not seen.
Highlights
NanGan island, in the Taiwan Strait of the China Sea, is part of a 36 island and islets archipelago
This study investigates the genetic relationship of the Mazu peoples on the east coast of China in the Taiwan Strait
A study combining ancient DNA from two 8000 years BP human skeletons in Liang island (nearby island to Nangan; (Figure 1) and complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome sequences representing modern Taiwan indigenous and non-indigenous peoples showed these skeletons belonged to mitochondrial haplogroups E1 and R9/F and proposed they were ancestors of the Formosan indigenous peoples, predating Taiwan Neolithic era of demographic expansion 6,000 BP, and likely had been speakers of proto-Austronesian [3]
Summary
NanGan island, in the Taiwan Strait of the China Sea, is part of a 36 island and islets archipelago. The finding of large shell mounds with radio-carbon dating ranging from 8000 to 4000 years BP showed that a huntergatherer culture, with coastal foraging lifestyle, inhabited Mazu Islands [2]. A study combining ancient DNA (aDNA) from two 8000 years BP human skeletons in Liang island (nearby island to Nangan; (Figure 1) and complete mtDNA genome sequences representing modern Taiwan indigenous and non-indigenous peoples showed these skeletons belonged to mitochondrial haplogroups E1 and R9/F and proposed they were ancestors of the Formosan indigenous peoples, predating Taiwan Neolithic era of demographic expansion 6,000 BP, and likely had been speakers of proto-Austronesian [3]
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