# Zhang 2021: The genomic origins of the Bronze Age Tarim Basin mummies > Fan Zhang, Chao Ning, Ashley Scott et al., 2021. 32 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The result that overturned the migration readings; the… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D90DSHP05J1/the-genomic-origins-of-the-bronze-age-tarim-basin-mummies Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Tarim Basin mummies (Xiaohe)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies)Zhang 2021 **0** # The genomic origins of the Bronze Age Tarim Basin mummies Fan Zhang, Chao Ning, Ashley Scott et al., 2021. _Nature 599: 256-261_. Genome-wide data for 13 Early-Middle Bronze Age individuals of the Xiaohe horizon (Xiaohe, Gumugou and Beifang, about 2100-1700 BC) and 5 Early Bronze Age individuals from the Dzungarian Basin (about 3000-2800 BC), with milk proteins from the dental calculus of seven Xiaohe individuals. The Tarim people descend from a genetically isolated local population, modelled as about 72% Ancient North Eurasian and 28% Baikal Early Bronze Age ancestry, with no detectable steppe, BMAC or Inner Asian Mountain Corridor admixture; the Dzungarian individuals are mainly Afanasievo-derived. None of the Tarim individuals carried the lactase persistence allele. **Tarim Basin mummies (Xiaohe)** Articledoi: **[10.1038/s41586-021-04052-7](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04052-7)** Checked against the original0 ## What it's used for here The result that overturned the migration readings; the source for the dates, ancestry and data accessions. ## Cited by on this site 32 records [An unrelated local language, now lost, later replaced.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/answers/ANS0D90EAWC3N06/an-unrelated-local-language-now-lost-later-replaced) Answer ANS [Neighbouring groups passed on the practices and the animals and crops through trade and contact, with little…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/answers/ANS0D90E7F052Q1/neighbouring-groups-passed-on-the-practices-and-the-animals) Answer ANS [They descended from agropastoralists of the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor to the west and north of the basin.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/answers/ANS0D90E5RA2FT8/they-descended-from-agropastoralists-of-the-inner-asian) Answer ANS [They descended from an old, isolated local population of mainly Ancient North Eurasian ancestry.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/answers/ANS0D90E67Y4NEW/they-descended-from-an-old-isolated-local-population-of) Answer ANS [They descended from farmers of the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex who came from the Central Asian…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/answers/ANS0D90E50W64K1/they-descended-from-farmers-of-the-bactria-margiana) Answer ANS [Dental calculus of seven Xiaohe individuals](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/artifacts/ART0D90EDT41YJ1/dental-calculus-of-seven-xiaohe-individuals) ART [Skeletal samples of the Early and Middle Bronze Age Tarim individuals](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/artifacts/ART0D90EEHJ6QKV/skeletal-samples-of-the-early-and-middle-bronze-age-tarim) ART [The Xiaohe mummies](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/artifacts/ART0D90EE1Y0QG3/the-xiaohe-mummies) ART [Sample, dating and qpAdm tables (Zhang et al. 2021, Supplementary Data 1-3)](https://mysteriesdept.com/datasets/DAT0D90EC3E4J5P/sample-dating-and-qpadm-tables-zhang-et-al-2021) Dataset DAT [Afanasievo herders were present in the Dzungarian Basin at the time.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E86E4FCB/afanasievo-herders-were-present-in-the-dzungarian-basin-at) Evidence EVD [All 13 individuals from Gumugou, Xiaohe and Beifang fit about 72% ANE and 28% Baikal_EBA ancestry.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E6FR40D5/all-13-individuals-from-gumugou-xiaohe-and-beifang-fit-about) Evidence EVD [Contemporary Dzungarian individuals to the north were 50-70% Afanasievo, so the migrants were in Xinjiang but…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E4H857ZG/contemporary-dzungarian-individuals-to-the-north-were-50-70) Evidence EVD [Dairying is present from the founding of the cemetery, without lactase persistence.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E7PT2Y7K/dairying-is-present-from-the-founding-of-the-cemetery) Evidence EVD [Models with Inner Asian Mountain Corridor sources fail.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E604342Z/models-with-inner-asian-mountain-corridor-sources-fail) Evidence EVD [No Afanasievo-related ancestry in any of the 13 Tarim individuals; qpAdm models with steppe sources fail.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E49E2RZ6/no-afanasievo-related-ancestry-in-any-of-the-13-tarim) Evidence EVD [No BMAC-related ancestry detected.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E58P4WTZ/no-bmac-related-ancestry-detected) Evidence EVD [No genetic link to Afanasievo, the group usually tied to Tocharian, in the founders.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90EAMJ53PS/no-genetic-link-to-afanasievo-the-group-usually-tied-to) Evidence EVD [Only 13 founders were sequenced; qpAdm has limited power to detect low-level admixture.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E8P26WXY/only-13-founders-were-sequenced-qpadm-has-limited-power-to) Evidence EVD [Ritual Ephedra and desert irrigation practices resemble BMAC.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E5GG73DF/ritual-ephedra-and-desert-irrigation-practices-resemble-bmac) Evidence EVD [The Tarim lineage is estimated to have separated about 9,000 years ago.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90E6QJ1CWM/the-tarim-lineage-is-estimated-to-have-separated-about-9-000) Evidence EVD [The founders were a genetically isolated local population.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/evidence/EVD0D90EB46703Q/the-founders-were-a-genetically-isolated-local-population) Evidence EVD [Burials in the lowest layer of Xiaohe](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/events/EVT0D90E13W48DB/burials-in-the-lowest-layer-of-xiaohe) EVT [Earliest dated burials of the Xiaohe horizon at Gumugou](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/events/EVT0D90E0W272MB/earliest-dated-burials-of-the-xiaohe-horizon-at-gumugou) EVT [Genome-wide data show the Tarim people were a local, isolated population](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/events/EVT0D90E2AY1VDF/genome-wide-data-show-the-tarim-people-were-a-local-isolated) EVT [Choongwon Jeong](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/people/FIG0D90DZD66W4Z/choongwon-jeong) FIG [Fan Zhang](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/people/FIG0D90DZ5C6FJP/fan-zhang) FIG [Yinqiu Cui](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/people/FIG0D90DZN06DY8/yinqiu-cui) FIG [The Tarim Basin mummies (Xiaohe)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies) The mystery article MYS [Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/organisations/ORG0D90E0M848WF/max-planck-institute-for-evolutionary-anthropology) ORG [How did a genetically isolated people come to herd cattle and sheep, make cheese, weave wool and grow wheat and millet?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/questions/QST0D90E3A63KN5/how-did-a-genetically-isolated-people-come-to-herd-cattle) Question QST [What language did the Bronze Age Tarim people speak?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/questions/QST0D90E3ST5JQ5/what-language-did-the-bronze-age-tarim-people-speak) Question QST [Where did the people buried in the earliest Tarim Basin cemeteries come from?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tarim-mummies/questions/QST0D90E32C1HN0/where-did-the-people-buried-in-the-earliest-tarim-basin) Question QST ## Cite it ``` Zhang, F., Ning, C., Scott, A., Fu, Q., Bjørn, R., Li, W., Wei, D., Wang, W., Krause, J., Jeong, C., & Cui, Y. (2021). The genomic origins of the Bronze Age Tarim Basin mummies. Nature 599: 256-261. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04052-7 ``` [Read it free at nature.com](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04052-7) Key **SRC** 0D90DSHP05J1 Kind Journal article Rights CC-BY-4.0 Kept 27 Oct 2026 Checked Against the published article Added by [apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo) The record Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS. [CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D90DSHP05J1/the-genomic-origins-of-the-bronze-age-tarim-basin-mummies/csl.json)