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Location​ ​Based​ ​Assignment:​ ​Gene​ ​Flow​ ​In​ ​Korean​ ​Populations

Joy​ ​N.​ ​Okoro

Minerva​ ​Schools​ ​at​ ​KGI

GENE​ ​FLOW​ ​IN​ ​KOREAN​ ​POPULATIONS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​2

Gene​ ​Flow​ ​In​ ​Korean​ ​Populations

The DNA of the Korean population we see today tells a story of the people’s history and a

migration journey likely beginning from a small African founder population 200,000 years ago.

(Relethford, 2008) SNPs and advanced technologies have allowed genetic researchers to trace the

evolutionary relationships between populations and those findings can be supported by anthropological

and​ ​archaeological​ ​evidence.

Jung et al. (2010) attempted to reconstruct the migration routes of early ancestors between the

Korean Peninsula and regions corresponding to present-day China and Japan using autosomal SNPs,

which record gene flow due to recombination1. They developed three models of gene flow between the

regions2 and collected appropriate samples for their analysis. As expected, they observed that most of

the populations in all three Korean regions (South-East, Middle-West & South-West) overlapped each

other i.e. were genetically similar. Additionally, they found that the general Korean population were

most similar to the Mongolians. Other observations made were that some South-West populations may

be connected to Japanese populations in Tokyo and that the Middlewest Korean populations are close to

some Chinese populations. The study also found that some outlier South-East populations and the

Japanese​ ​Kobe​ ​population​ ​were​ ​similar,​ ​and​ ​may​ ​have​ ​been​ ​of​ ​Siberian​ ​lineage.

According to the historical record and artefacts seen at the National Museum of Korea, there

existed significant migration and trade between Northern and Southern Kingdoms as well as some

Chinese Dynasties. There were also bi-directional influences on religion between South-Western

Kingdoms and Japan. For example, several artefacts found in tombs of the Goguryeo Kingdom, which

spanned the north to the central middle regions of the Korean Peninsula, provide support for Jung et al.’s

1
​ ​#TheoryTesting:​ ​Their​ ​work​ ​was​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​premise​ ​that​ ​the​ ​genomes​ ​of​ ​organisms​ ​bear​ ​record​ ​of​ ​their​ ​evolutionary
history​ ​and​ ​that​ ​lineages​ ​can​ ​be​ ​traced​ ​by​ ​it​ ​and​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​their​ ​findings​ ​are​ ​consistent​ ​with​ ​the​ ​historical​ ​record​ ​further
supports​ ​the​ ​theory.
2
​ ​#HypothesisDriven:​ ​The​ ​hypotheses​ ​to​ ​be​ ​tested​ ​–​ ​their​ ​models​ ​–​ ​were​ ​developed​ ​before​ ​the​ ​test​ ​were​ ​carried​ ​out​ ​and
directed​ ​what​ ​samples​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​collected​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​methods​ ​suitable​ ​for​ ​analysing​ ​them
GENE​ ​FLOW​ ​IN​ ​KOREAN​ ​POPULATIONS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​3

finding of closeness between Middle-West Korean and Chinese populations. Iron cooking stoves of the

same shape have been excavated from sites in both nations, and roof tiles, found in Goguryeo burial

tombs​ ​bear​ ​Chinese​ ​inscriptions​ ​on​ ​them.

Several Goguryeo bronze bowls were also excavated from a tomb in the Southern, Silla

Kingdom, suggesting travel between the two Kingdoms. Assuming that people lived and traded along

those routes would explain why the Middlewest Korean populations are not more closely related to any

one group than another. Had North Korea been applied to contribute samples to this study, stronger

support​ ​for​ ​this​ ​finding​ ​may​ ​be​ ​established.

Unsurprisingly, the artefacts found at the National Museum of Korea appeared to be consistent

with the hypothesised models and findings of the paper. The study authors discussed that their models of

gene flow were developed "based on historical events, geographical location and anthropology."3 Both

genetic and archaeological fields offer unique approaches for studying changes in population structure

and are most beneficial when used in combination4. Researchers can use archaeological findings to

develop hypotheses that can then be tested using genetic tools. Both approaches can be expensive to use,

and complex factors can make it difficult to analyse the findings obtained from either one. For example,

large redundant regions, when comparing populations of different regions using a whole genome

approach,​ ​can​ ​make​ ​it​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​evolutionary​ ​relationships.

Link​ ​to​ ​Photos:​ ​http://bit.ly/2kgfzaE

3
​ ​#Plausibility:​ ​The​ ​models/hypotheses​ ​proposed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​authors​ ​logically​ ​followed​ ​from​ ​findings​ ​and​ ​observations​ ​from​ ​other
fields.
4
​ ​#Purpose:​ ​Although​ ​researchers​ ​in​ ​the​ ​two​ ​fields​ ​might​ ​be​ ​studying​ ​the​ ​same​ ​topic,​ ​their​ ​primary​ ​aims​ ​and​ ​the​ ​methods​ ​each
would​ ​use​ ​differ​ ​significantly.
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References

Jung,​ ​J.,​ ​Kang,​ ​H.,​ ​Cho,​ ​Y.,​ ​Oh,​ ​J.,​ ​Ryu,​ ​M.,​ ​&​ ​Chung,​ ​H.​ ​et​ ​al.​ ​(2010).​ ​Gene​ ​Flow​ ​between​ ​the

Korean​ ​Peninsula​ ​and​ ​Its​ ​Neighboring​ ​Countries.​ ​Plos​ ​ONE​,​ ​5​(7),​ ​e11855.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011855

Relethford,​ ​J.​ ​(2008).​ ​Genetic​ ​evidence​ ​and​ ​the​ ​modern​ ​human​ ​origins​ ​debate.​ ​Heredity​,​ ​100​(6),

555-563.​ ​http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/hdy.2008.14