Neolithic Ancestors

[Anchor Lead]

People of the Neolithic Age some 8,000 years ago who lived in the Russian Far East region are said to share similar genetic traits as modern day Koreans according to recent research. It's believed the biological roots of the Korean people have been identified.

[Pkg]

Historically, the Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo and East Buyeo are believed to have existed on the very site of this cave. This skull discovered here is from the Neolithic Era some 7,700 years ago. According to a genome analysis of DNA extracted from the bone, a gene has been identified displaying features of brown eyes and spade-shaped front teeth. Genes pointing to risk of high blood pressure and thin earlobes have also come up. The genetic traits match those of a typical Korean. This provides biological proof that people of the Neolithic Age in this area were the ancestors of modern Koreans. Researchers have also confirmed that the genetic root of Korean people was formed over thousands of years of genetic blending of northern and southern Asians.

[Soundbite] Jeon Seong-won(Ulsan Nat'l Institute of Science & Technology) : "When the genomes of the Devil's Gate cave people who represent northern Asia and Taiwanese aboriginals representing southern Asia were combined using supercomputing, this best portrayed the qualities of Koreans."

Even though southern and northern genes have mixed over history, Koreans are actually closer to southern Asians in their genetic composition. The latest research that has uncovered the biological origin of East Asians through genome analysis of ancient people has been published in the international journal Science Advances.