REVIEWS Central Asia. The influence of YAP" from Central Asia that of YAP"; it expanded to many populations in the to the East Asian populations is mysterious. In East mainland, with more influence on the northern popula- Asian populations, it was demonstrated that only tions and less on the southern populations, but did not Tibetans(in the west) and the Japanese(in the east) reach island populations such as the Taiwanese and show high frequencies of YAP*, with asporadic occur- Polynesians. Whether YAP"and M89T came to East nce in the other East Asian populations. YAP*is al Asia from Central Asia in the same migratory wave absent from Siberian populations, so forming a huge needs further investigation. geographic gap in its distribution in East Asia After modern humans from Africa settled in Interestingly, besides Tibetans (42.5%)49 and the Southeast Asia, other than the proposed northward Japanese(27.6%), another Chinese ethnic minority expansion to China and Siberia, they also migrated (Yao-Jinxiu), which lives in southern China, shows a southward to explore the new habitats. Y-chromosome high frequency of YAP*(50%)2. This might provide a biallelic markers again were used to trace the origins of although more data is needed to solve the YAP puzzle. was confirmed as the place of the first settlement of The distribution of M89T is easier to understand than modern humans in East Asia, as it holds almost all the Box 3 Fossil records in East Asia gOngwangling, Shaanxi(-1, 150 K)Guojabao, Yunnan(-1,000 K) Yuanmou, Yunnan(600-1, 700 K) Chenjawo, Shaanxi (500-650 K) U Homo sapiens(archaic humans) U Homo sapiens sapiens 400K Zhoukoudian Locality 1, Beijing (230-500 K Dali Shaaxi(209-230)//Jinniushan, Liaoning (160-310K) hangyang, Hubei(174-218 K 200K Hexian, Anhui (150-195 K) Chaoxian, Anhui(160-200 K) Dingcui, Shanxi(160-210 K) Tongzi, Guizhou(113-181 K [ Maba, Guangdong(129-135 K)Zhoukoudian Locality 4, Beijing(122-171 K) I xujiayao, Shanxi(104-125 Hominid fossil gap in China(40-100 K) 40K SAlawusu, Inner Mongolia(33-37 K) shan, Gansu(38-39 K ILongtanshan, Yunnan(-30 K) oukoudian, Upper Cave(29-34 K) SHiyu, Shanxi(27-30 K) 20KLiujiang, Guangxi(10-30 K) IMaomaodong. Guizhou(13-15 K) 10K China is one of the few regions in the world where ancient hominid fossils have been found. The most ancient human Homo erectus at Zhoukoudian in the early 193n .7 million years ago(see figure). Since the sensational finding of ther hominids have been unearthed at more than 60 sites".Archaeologists described a set of morphological traits shared between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, including shovel-shaped incisors, flat nasal saddle and INCA BONE However, the existence of morphological continuity between Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens is controversial. NCA BONES The figure shows the hominid fossil records found in China. The age estimates(1 Kbeing 1,000 years)and the at lambda, the corn geographic locations of those fossils are labelled next to the time bars. A non-trivial gap exists between 100,000 and between the two parietal and 40,000 years ago, for which there are no hominid fossils. NATURE REVIEWS GENETIC VOLUME 1 NOVEMBER 2000 131 M@ 2000 Macmillan Magazines LtdNATURE REVIEWS | GENETICS VOLUME 1 | NOVEMBER 2000 | 131 REVIEWS that of YAP+; it expanded to many populations in the mainland, with more influence on the northern popula￾tions and less on the southern populations, but did not reach island populations such as the Taiwanese and Polynesians. Whether YAP+ and M89T came to East Asia from Central Asia in the same migratory wave needs further investigation. After modern humans from Africa settled in Southeast Asia, other than the proposed northward expansion to China and Siberia, they also migrated southward to explore the new habitats. Y-chromosome biallelic markers again were used to trace the origins of Polynesians22. In this study, mainland Southeast Asia was confirmed as the place of the first settlement of modern humans in East Asia, as it holds almost all the Central Asia. The influence of YAP+ from Central Asia to the East Asian populations is mysterious. In East Asian populations, it was demonstrated that only Tibetans (in the west) and the Japanese (in the east) show high frequencies of YAP+, with a sporadic occur￾rence in the other East Asian populations5 . YAP+ is also absent from Siberian populations48, so forming a huge geographic gap in its distribution in East Asia. Interestingly, besides Tibetans (42.5%)49 and the Japanese (27.6%), another Chinese ethnic minority (Yao-Jinxiu), which lives in southern China, shows a high frequency of YAP+ (50%)21. This might provide a clue for tracing the dispersion of YAP+ Y chromosomes, although more data is needed to solve the YAP puzzle. The distribution of M89T is easier to understand than INCA BONES Supernumerary bones on the skull at lambda, the corner between the two parietal and the occipital bones. Box 3 | Fossil records in East Asia China is one of the few regions in the world where ancient hominid fossils have been found. The most ancient human fossils in China can be traced back to as early as 1.7 million years ago (see figure). Since the sensational finding of Homo erectus at Zhoukoudian in the early 1930s, originally called the Peking Man (Homo erectus pekinensis), many other hominids have been unearthed at more than 60 sites13. Archaeologists described a set of morphological traits shared between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, including shovel-shaped incisors, flat nasal saddle and INCA BONES13. However, the existence of morphological continuity between Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens is controversial. The figure shows the hominid fossil records found in China. The age estimates (1 K being 1,000 years) and the geographic locations of those fossils are labelled next to the time bars. A non-trivial gap exists between 100,000 and 40,000 years ago, for which there are no hominid fossils. 10 K Maomaodong, Guizhou (13–15 K) Liujiang, Guangxi (10–30 K) Gongwangling, Shaanxi (~1,150 K) Guojiabao, Yunnan (~1,000 K) Yuanmou, Yunnan (600–1,700 K) Chenjiawo, Shaanxi (500–650 K) Changyang, Hubei (174–218 K) Dingcui, Shanxi (160–210 K) Zhoukoudian Locality 4, Beijing (122–171 K) Jinniushan, Liaoning (160–310 K) Chaoxian, Anhui (160–200 K) Maba, Guangdong (129–135 K) Zhoukoudian Locality 1, Beijing (230–500 K) Dali, Shaaxi (209–230 K) Hexian, Anhui (150–195 K) Tongzi, Guizhou (113–181 K) Xujiayao, Shanxi (104–125 K) Zhoukoudian, Upper Cave (29–34 K) Wushan, Gansu (38–39 K) Ziyang, Sichuan (35–40 K) Longtanshan, Yunnan (~30 K) Yanjiagang, Heilongjiang (~22 K) Salawusu, Inner Mongolia (33–37 K) Shiyu, Shanxi (27–30 K) 20 K 30 K 40 K Hominid fossil gap in China (40–100 K) 100 K 200 K 300 K 400 K 500 K 600 K Homo erectus Homo sapiens (archaic humans) Homo sapiens sapiens (modern humans) © 2000 Macmillan Magazines Ltd