研究者通過分析DNA,，發(fā)現(xiàn)新疆的古人類群體“樓蘭人”屬于東亞人群（黃種人）和歐洲人群（白種人）的混合體,，這說明東西方人類文化交流可上溯至4000年前,。這一研究成果公布在BMC Biology雜志上。
研究人員從2003年開始就在中亞,、新疆發(fā)現(xiàn)了大量古尸,，其中最受矚目的就是“樓蘭美女”。從外表特征看,，“樓蘭美女”是北歐人的臉部特征,，多年來,，在新疆小河墓地附近出土的“樓蘭美女”古尸引來社會大眾無限遐想。這位生前金發(fā)碧眼的白種美女究竟是誰,？
在這篇文章中,，研究人員在新疆羅布泊附近的小河墓地成功地提取了距今4000余年的20具“樓蘭古尸”的DNA樣本。通過DNA測試,，研究者發(fā)現(xiàn),，這些“樓蘭人”中絕大部分單倍體呈現(xiàn)C型，具備東亞人群特征,；同時,，他們也具有歐洲人群DNA特征,。新疆的古人類群體“樓蘭人”屬于東亞人群（黃種人）和歐洲人群（白種人）的混合體,。這項研究成果表明，東西方人類文化交流可上溯至4000年前,。
先進(jìn)的基因檢測技術(shù)正是“樓蘭千古之謎”破解密碼,，通過DNA可以明確，盡管出土的樓蘭古尸多具有典型西方體質(zhì)特征,，但他們都具有東方血統(tǒng),。這項發(fā)現(xiàn)意義重大，因為,，全世界的學(xué)者都在關(guān)注這樣一個話題——“東方到底在什么時候遇到了西方,？”東西方文化始于何時？一般認(rèn)為,，西漢時張騫出使西域,、開辟絲綢之路的“鑿空之舉”是東西方交流的發(fā)端。
在小河墓地遺址南邊發(fā)現(xiàn)的且末遺址距今2500年到3000年,，此次研究人員成功解讀了52個古尸樣本中的35個樣本DNA,，除了線粒體以外，發(fā)現(xiàn)墓地遺址發(fā)掘的18具男尸的Y染色體是R1a1a型,，這一型是中亞土著類型,，而且當(dāng)?shù)毓糯用褚簿哂袞|西混合的血統(tǒng)。因此從2500年至4000年前的新疆古代居民是東西歐亞大陸人群的混合人群,，東西方交流最遲在那時起就已開始,，而且和不少人宣稱的新疆古代人屬于歐洲人這一觀點恰恰相反的是，新疆人4000年前就已具有東亞人的特征了,。
遺傳規(guī)律顯示,，C型線粒體是東亞人的“專屬”。盡管某些個體在外形特征上無法看出東方特征,，但是線粒體還是可能記錄著東方來源,。以新疆樓蘭地區(qū)出土的著名“樓蘭美女”為例,，盡管容貌復(fù)原圖顯示，其面部特征為標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的西方美女,，DNA檢測卻揭示出她身上明顯的東方遺傳特征,。
不過研究人員也指出，新疆古代居民和現(xiàn)在的新疆少數(shù)民族并不是同一人種?，F(xiàn)代的我國新疆少數(shù)民族如維吾爾族和哈薩克族等都為遷徙而來,，而新疆古代居民到底去了哪里至今仍是個謎，有待更深入的研究,。由于基因檢測數(shù)據(jù)需進(jìn)一步核實,，目前對于“樓蘭美女”的具體研究還在進(jìn)行之中。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦原文出處：
BMC Biology 2010, 8:15doi:10.1186/1741-7007-8-15
Evidence that a West-East admixed population lived in the Tarim Basin as early as the early Bronze Age
Chunxiang Li1,2 , Hongjie Li2 , Yinqiu Cui1,2 , Chengzhi Xie2 , Dawei Cai1 , Wenying Li3 , Victor H Mair4 , Zhi Xu5 , Quanchao Zhang1 , Idelisi Abuduresule3 , Li Jin4 , Hong Zhu1 and Hui Zhou1,2
1 Ancient DNA Laboratory, Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China
2 College of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, PR China
3 Xinjiang Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, ürümchi 830000, PR China
4 Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
5 Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Center for Anthropological Studies, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China
Background
The Tarim Basin, located on the ancient Silk Road, played a very important role in the history of human migration and cultural communications between the West and the East. However, both the exact period at which the relevant events occurred and the origins of the people in the area remain very obscure. In this paper, we present data from the analyses of both Y chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) derived from human remains excavated from the Xiaohe cemetery, the oldest archeological site with human remains discovered in the Tarim Basin thus far.
Results
Mitochondrial DNA analysis showed that the Xiaohe people carried both the East Eurasian haplogroup (C) and the West Eurasian haplogroups (H and K), whereas Y chromosomal DNA analysis revealed only the West Eurasian haplogroup R1a1a in the male individuals.
Conclusion
Our results demonstrated that the Xiaohe people were an admixture from populations originating from both the West and the East, implying that the Tarim Basin had been occupied by an admixed population since the early Bronze Age. To our knowledge, this is the earliest genetic evidence of an admixed population settled in the Tarim Basin.
