The Uygur are the clear outlier population, doubtlessly due to their substantial Caucasoid admixture and geographical position in Central Asia, a region that was traditionally at the outskirts of Chinese civilization. Other Altaic speakers (both Mongolic and Tungusic) are also divergent, as are the Dai/Lahu people from the China/Thailand/Laos area.
Interestingly, the Tujia people from Central China seem to be the ones most like the Han overall, with Hmongic Miaozu/She more like the southern Han.
"Interestingly, the Tujia people from Central China seem to be the ones most like the Han overall"
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. Has any work been done specifically on their haplogroups? The link claims:
"Tujia is clearly a Tibeto-Burman language, but its position within that family is unclear, due to massive borrowing from other Tibeto-Burman languages. It has been placed with Loloish and Qiangic, but many leave it unclassified".
Perhaps they are survivors from the 'original' Neolithic of the Yangtze River valley.
Massive borrowing from other languages is suggestive of the likelihood of massive admixture as well. As melting pot that creates a statistical average seems more plausible than a truly basal position.
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