1. Wang Chuanchao et al. Genomic insights into the formation of human populations in East Asia[J]. Nature, 2021, 591(7850): 413-419.
This research focuses on the ancestry shares among hunter-gatherers from Northern East Asia, the Yamnaya Steppe pastoralists, and Mongolic and Tungstic-speaking population, solving the admixture history and population structure in the interaction area of East Asia and Central Asia especially and fixing the lack of ancient DNA data and sparse sampling of present-day people and the deep population history of East Asia remains. These ancient East Asians’ genetic contributions have also influenced the formation of neighboring Mongolian and Turkic populations. The Yellow River Neolithic farmers’ contribution to Northwest China is very significant.
2. Wen SQ et al. Ancient Genome of Empress Ashina reveals the Northeast Asian origin of Göktürk Khanate [J]. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 2023. 01.
The Turkic-speaking population originating from the Mongolian Plateau exerted a substantial influence during the past. The paper found that Ashina exhibited the highest genetic resemblance to Tungsic and Mongolic Steppe pastoralist populations in Northeast Asia, such as Rouran, Xianbei, Khitan, and Heshui Mohe, during the post-Iron Age period. However, the impact of the Ashina individual on the present-day population in the Gansu and Qinghai regions is relatively minor with a limited genetic relationship. This case of the Ashina clan of the ancient Turkic royal family likely suggests the Turkic language as a cultural transmission rather than a demic one.
3. Baihui Wu, Hanzhi Zhang and Menghan Zhang. Phylogenetic insight into the origin of tones [J]. Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences, 2023, 290: 20230606.
This study used phylogenetic comparative analyses to assess the likelihood of different hypotheses of tonogenetic mechanisms across Sino-Tibetan languages, of which approximately 70% are tonal. The results showed that the presence of tones has a strong phylogenetic pattern and that Proto-Sino-Tibetan languages were most likely non-tonal. The findings identified that tonal origin was strongly associated with the evolution of specific phonological structures, such as the loss of syllable-final consonants and voice quality on vowels. Furthermore, the study found that tonal origin probably did not influence the diversification rates of Sino-Tibetan languages. These findings enabled us to better understand that tone arose as a compensatory mechanism for the structural organization and evolution of languages.
4. Dan Xu. Intertwined model of syntactic borrowing in the Gansu-Qinghai linguistic area [J]. Himalayan Linguistics, vol. 20(3), 146-168.
Accusative-dative, a syncretic case largely attested in Sinitic languages, is also found in Bao’an and Tu, even if in very limited use. The Sinitic languages have acquired this syncretic case marking through pattern reduplication due to language contact, while Bao’an and Tu have this innovation owing to the internal mechanisms of their language. Linxia City should be the spreading center of these new syntactic devices, and Muslim populations speaking different languages may form a spreading net.
5. Dan Xu. Dongci ‘you’ de mouxie yongfa zai beifang hanyu li de lishi yanbian [Evolution of the verb ‘to have’ in Northern Chinese]. Dangdai Yuyanxue [Contemporary Linguistics][J] . 2022. 6, 796-815.
Through the evolution of the verb ‘to have’, the paper analyzes why the influence of the Mongolian language on both the northwestern and central regions of China during the 13th century has had such different consequences. The Chinese dialects of Gansu and Qinghai have been affected not merely by a single language, or even by a single group of languages, but rather by the interaction of multiple languages of different families. The non-Han populations inhabiting the Central Plain have been fully Sinicized while both the Han and non-Han populations of the Northwest have been mutually influenced by bidirectional or even multidirectional assimilation.
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