Mitochondrial DNA analysis of human remains from the Yuansha site in Xinjiang, China

The Yuansha site is located in the center of the Taklimakan Desert of Xinjiang, in the southern Silk Road region. MtDNA was extracted from fifteen human remains excavated from the Yuansha site, dating back 2,000–2,500 years. Analysis of the phylogenetic tree and the multidimensional scaling (MDS) reveals that the Yuansha population has relatively close relationships with the modern populations of South Central Asia and Indus Valley, as well as with the ancient population of Chawuhu. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. J0530184) and the “985” Foundation of Jilin University