Y-chromosome evidence for a northward migration of modern humans into eastern Asia during the last Ice Age

The timing and nature of the arrival and the subsequent expansion of modern humans into eastern Asia remains controversial. Using Y-chromosome biallel ic markers, we investigated the ancient human-migration patterns in eastern Asia. Our data indicate that southern populations in eastern Asia are much more polymorphic than northern populations, which have only a subset of th e southern haplotypes. This pattern indicates that the first settlement of modern humans in eastern Asia occurred in mainland Southeast Asia during th e last Ice Age, coinciding with the absence of human fossils in eastern Asi a, 50,000-100,000 years ago. After the initial peopling, a great northward migration extended into northern China and Siberia.