Ancient DNA reveals prehistoric connections and a patrilineal society in early China

Scientists from Peking University have uncovered new genetic evidence that sheds light on how prehistoric people in China interacted, migrated, and built their communities. Led by Professors Huang Yanyi and Pang Yuhong from the Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), the research reveals the first direct genetic proof of a patrilineal social system in Neolithic China.

The study, conducted in collaboration with Yunnan University and Minzu University of China, was published in Nature Communications on September 30, 2025.

The story of Chinese civilization begins along two great rivers: the Yellow River, known for its millet-farming cultures, and the Yangtze River, home to early rice agriculture. How people in these regions exchanged ideas, adapted to environmental shifts, and shaped early societies has long fascinated archaeologists and historians.

The Baligang site in Henan Province lies between these two river basins, making it a key area for understanding how ancient northern and southern populations interacted. Archaeological findings indicate continuous settlement in the area from approximately 8,500 to 2,500 years ago, including a transition from rice to millet farming. However, the genetic data needed to connect these cultural patterns to actual population movements had remained missing until now.

Using advanced ancient DNA techniques, researchers analyzed the complete genomes of 58 ancient individuals from the Baligang population, spanning from the Middle Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age.

The results revealed that residents already carried a mix of northern and southern East Asian ancestry in the early Neolithic period. Over time, the proportion of this ancestry shifted, but not always in ways that matched changes in pottery or farming style, suggesting that cultural innovation often spread without major migrations.

For example, during the Qujialing and Longshan cultural periods, the genetic composition remained largely stable even as archaeological styles evolved. About 4,200 years ago, during a major global climate event, genetic data show an increase in southern ancestry, pointing to possible northward movements of rice-farming populations in response to environmental stress.

Another remarkable discovery came from the M13 collective burial, which contained more than 90 individuals. Analysis of 75 of them showed that all males shared the same Y-chromosome lineage, while females had diverse maternal lineages.

This means the community followed a patrilineal and patrilocal system—men stayed in their birthplace, and women joined from other groups. Modeling suggests this community represented a single male kin group of more than 200 individuals, one of the earliest such examples identified through DNA in East Asia.

This research provides new insights into how early Chinese communities adapted to environmental and cultural changes, as well as how their family systems were organized. By combining archaeology, genetics, and climate studies, it highlights the complex interactions that shaped the roots of Chinese civilization.

Beyond China, the findings contribute to a broader global understanding of how early farming societies developed their social and genetic identities over time.