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Triangulation supports agricultural spread of the Transeurasian languages

Author

Listed:
  • Martine Robbeets

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Remco Bouckaert

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    University of Auckland)

  • Matthew Conte

    (Seoul National University)

  • Alexander Savelyev

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Tao Li

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    Wuhan University
    Wuhan University)

  • Deog-Im An

    (Hanseo University)

  • Ken-ichi Shinoda

    (National Museum of Nature and Science)

  • Yinqiu Cui

    (Jilin University
    Jilin University)

  • Takamune Kawashima

    (Hiroshima University Museum)

  • Geonyoung Kim

    (Seoul National University)

  • Junzo Uchiyama

    (Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures
    Kanazawa University)

  • Joanna Dolińska

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Sofia Oskolskaya

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • Ken-Yōjiro Yamano

    (Kumamoto University)

  • Noriko Seguchi

    (Kyushu University
    The University of Montana)

  • Hirotaka Tomita

    (Hokkaido Government Board of Education
    Kyushu University)

  • Hiroto Takamiya

    (Kagoshima University)

  • Hideaki Kanzawa-Kiriyama

    (National Museum of Nature and Science)

  • Hiroki Oota

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Hajime Ishida

    (University of the Ryukyus)

  • Ryosuke Kimura

    (University of the Ryukyus)

  • Takehiro Sato

    (Kanazawa University)

  • Jae-Hyun Kim

    (Donga University)

  • Bingcong Deng

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Rasmus Bjørn

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Seongha Rhee

    (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)

  • Kyou-Dong Ahn

    (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)

  • Ilya Gruntov

    (Russian Academy of Sciences
    National Research University Higher School of Economics)

  • Olga Mazo

    (Russian Academy of Sciences
    National Research University Higher School of Economics)

  • John R. Bentley

    (Northern Illinois University)

  • Ricardo Fernandes

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    Masaryk University
    School of Archaeology, University of Oxford)

  • Patrick Roberts

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Ilona R. Bausch

    (Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures
    Leiden University Institute of Area Studies
    Kokugakuin University Museum)

  • Linda Gilaizeau

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Minoru Yoneda

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Mitsugu Kugai

    (Miyakojima City Board of Education)

  • Raffaela A. Bianco

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Fan Zhang

    (Jilin University)

  • Marie Himmel

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)

  • Mark J. Hudson

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    Institut d’Asie Orientale, ENS de Lyon)

  • Chao Ning

    (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
    Peking University)

Abstract

The origin and early dispersal of speakers of Transeurasian languages—that is, Japanese, Korean, Tungusic, Mongolic and Turkic—is among the most disputed issues of Eurasian population history1–3. A key problem is the relationship between linguistic dispersals, agricultural expansions and population movements4,5. Here we address this question by ‘triangulating’ genetics, archaeology and linguistics in a unified perspective. We report wide-ranging datasets from these disciplines, including a comprehensive Transeurasian agropastoral and basic vocabulary; an archaeological database of 255 Neolithic–Bronze Age sites from Northeast Asia; and a collection of ancient genomes from Korea, the Ryukyu islands and early cereal farmers in Japan, complementing previously published genomes from East Asia. Challenging the traditional ‘pastoralist hypothesis’6–8, we show that the common ancestry and primary dispersals of Transeurasian languages can be traced back to the first farmers moving across Northeast Asia from the Early Neolithic onwards, but that this shared heritage has been masked by extensive cultural interaction since the Bronze Age. As well as marking considerable progress in the three individual disciplines, by combining their converging evidence we show that the early spread of Transeurasian speakers was driven by agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Martine Robbeets & Remco Bouckaert & Matthew Conte & Alexander Savelyev & Tao Li & Deog-Im An & Ken-ichi Shinoda & Yinqiu Cui & Takamune Kawashima & Geonyoung Kim & Junzo Uchiyama & Joanna Dolińska & , 2021. "Triangulation supports agricultural spread of the Transeurasian languages," Nature, Nature, vol. 599(7886), pages 616-621, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:599:y:2021:i:7886:d:10.1038_s41586-021-04108-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04108-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mark Hudson & Junzō Uchiyama & Kati Lindström & Takamune Kawashima & Ian Reader & Tinka Delakorda Kawashima & Danièle Martin & J. Christoper Gillam & Linda Gilaizeau & Ilona R. Bausch & Kara C. Hoover, 2022. "Global processes of anthropogenesis characterise the early Anthropocene in the Japanese Islands," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Yuxin Tao & Yuancheng Wei & Jiaqi Ge & Yan Pan & Wenmin Wang & Qianqi Bi & Pengfei Sheng & Changzhong Fu & Wuyun Pan & Li Jin & Hong-Xiang Zheng & Menghan Zhang, 2023. "Phylogenetic evidence reveals early Kra-Dai divergence and dispersal in the late Holocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Sizhe Yang & Xiaoru Sun & Li Jin & Menghan Zhang, 2024. "Inferring language dispersal patterns with velocity field estimation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Lixiong Xiang & Xiaozhong Huang & Mingjie Sun & Virginia N. Panizzo & Chong Huang & Min Zheng & Xuemei Chen & Fahu Chen, 2023. "Prehistoric population expansion in Central Asia promoted by the Altai Holocene Climatic Optimum," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Sam Passmore & Anna L. C. Wood & Chiara Barbieri & Dor Shilton & Hideo Daikoku & Quentin D. Atkinson & Patrick E. Savage, 2024. "Global musical diversity is largely independent of linguistic and genetic histories," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.

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