Genomic Insights Into the Unique Demographic History and Genetic Structure of Five Hmong-Mien-Speaking Miao and Yao Populations in Southwest China

Abstract

Southern China was the original center of multiple ancestral populations related to modern Hmong-Mien, Tai-Kadai, Austroasiatic, and Austronesian people. More recent genetic surveys have focused on the fine-scale genetic structure and admixture history of southern Chinese populations, but the genetic formation and diversification of Hmong-Mien speakers are far from clear due to the sparse genetic sampling. Here, we reported nearly 700,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data from 130 Guizhou Miao and Yao individuals. We used principal component analysis, ADMIXTURE, f-statistics, qpAdm, phylogenetic tree, fineSTRUCTURE, and ALDER to explore the fine-scale population genetic structure and admixture pattern of Hmong-Mien people. The sharing allele patterns showed that our studied populations had a strong genetic affinity with ancient and modern groups from southern and southeastern East Asia. We identified one unique ancestry component maximized in Yao people, which widely existed in other Hmong-Mien-speaking populations in southern China and Southeast Asia and ancient samples of Guangxi. Guizhou Hmong-Mien speakers harbored the dominant proportions of ancestry related to southern indigenous East Asians and minor proportions of northern ancestry related to Yellow River farmers, suggesting the possibility of genetic admixture between Hmong-Mien people and recent southward Sino-Tibetan-related populations. Furthermore, we found a genetic substructure among geographically different Miao and Yao people in Leishan and Songtao. The Yao and Miao people in Leishan harbored more southern East Asian ancestry, but Miao in Songtao received more northern East Asian genetic influence. We observed high mtDNA but low Y-chromosome diversity in studied Hmong-Mien groups, supporting the role of sex-specific residence in influencing human genetic variation. Our data provide valuable clues for further exploring population dynamics in southern China.

Genome-wide allele and haplotype-sharing patterns suggested one unique Hmong–Mein-related lineage and biological adaptation history in Southwest China

“…Recently, the reported 500-year-old Gaohuahua population was found to be genetically related to the HM ancestry [ 8 ]. Still, a recent study of genome-wide SNPs in the present-day HM populations showed that the Libo Yao is more representative of the ancestral lineage of HM groups than the 500-year-old Gaohuahua [ 27 ]. There is a growing number of genome-wide studies of HM-speaking populations, and they all revealed a north–south mixing pattern of HM-speaking people and the existence of genetic substructures among HM-speaking populations from different regions [ 27 – 29 ].…”

“…Still, a recent study of genome-wide SNPs in the present-day HM populations showed that the Libo Yao is more representative of the ancestral lineage of HM groups than the 500-year-old Gaohuahua [ 27 ]. There is a growing number of genome-wide studies of HM-speaking populations, and they all revealed a north–south mixing pattern of HM-speaking people and the existence of genetic substructures among HM-speaking populations from different regions [ 27 – 29 ]. Gao et al extrapolated the divergence time of HM-speaking people and found that the separation of Yao from other HM groups was earlier than that between Miao and She.…”

Pharmacogenomic variabilities in geo-ancestral subpopulations and their clinical implications: Results of collaborations with Hmong in the United States

“…Additionally, excess rare alleles have been found in the Hmong population that could be explained by accumulated mutations over time or through genetic drift caused by significant losses in the Hmong population due to wars ( Listman et al, 2011 ). Analysis of 537 Hmong-Mien speaking individuals using mitochondrial DNA demonstrated variable ratios of lineages that implied Hmong-Mien populations had more genetic contacts with Northern East Asians compared to Southern East Asians ( Wen et al, 2005 ; Yang et al, 2022 ). Hmong kinship practices could contribute as well, including clan hospitality (treating people with the same last name as family), clan exogamy (marrying outside one’s clan), ethnic endogamy (marrying within one’s ethnic group) ( Lee, 2020 ), as well as cross-cousin marriage ( Culhane-Pera et al, 2003 ).…”

The genome-wide allele and haplotype-sharing patterns suggested one unique Hmong- Mein-related lineage in Southwest China

“…Recently, the reported 500-year-old Gaohuahua population was found to be genetically related to the HM ancestry (Wang, et al 2021b). Still, a recent study of genome-wide SNPs in the present-day Miaos showed that the Libo Yao is more representative of the Miao ancestral lineage than the 500-year-old Gaohuahua (Yang, et al 2022). There is a growing number of genome-wide studies of HM-speaking populations, and they all reveal a north-south mixing pattern of HM-speaking people and the existence of genetic substructures among HM-speaking populations from different regions ( groups was earlier than that between Miao and She.…”