Ten ancient genomes recovered from the Dulan Wayan reservoir site form the basis of the current genetic portrait. Maternal lineages are dominated by East Asian haplogroups: three individuals carry mtDNA D, two carry M, and singletons include D4, C4d, and A21. These maternal types are common across Northeast and East Asia and are frequently observed in highland and adjacent lowland groups, consistent with regional continuity of female-mediated ancestry.
Paternal diversity is more heterogeneous. Y-chromosome assignments include haplogroup O in two males (a lineage widespread among Sino-Tibetan and other East Asian populations), haplogroup N in one male (often associated with northern Eurasian groups), and haplogroup R in one male (a marker that can reflect western Eurasian or Central Asian influx). The presence of R and N alongside O suggests episodic male-mediated gene flow from northern and western directions into a predominantly East Asian genetic background.
Caveats are essential: with only ten genomes, statistical power is limited and sampling may not represent the full demographic complexity of the Dulan-Wayan Culture. Archaeological context and larger comparative datasets from neighboring plateau and corridor sites are required to test models of migration, patrilineal vs. matrilineal mobility, and the timing of admixture. Nonetheless, these early genetic results dovetail with archaeological indications of frontier contact and provide a framework for testing hypotheses about medieval highland population dynamics.
