The mystery of the origin of the Mosuo people,dnaReveal the truth.
Have you ever heard of the "Daughter Country", if you are not familiar with it, then you must know the "Mosuo people". In reality, the "daughter country" is the Mosuo people, who are the only Chinese people who still practice a matrilineal society, and adhere to the unique marriage custom of "walking marriage", where both men and women do not need to get married, only the man goes to the woman's house for the night.
It is said that the daughter country in "Journey to the West" was created based on the Mosuo people.
The Mosuo people, also known as "Na" or "Nari", call themselves "Mosuo". They live in Ninglang, Yanyuan, Muli and other counties on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan in China, and the beautiful scenery of Lugu Lake has become the core of their settlement.
At present, the Mosuo people have a population of about 50,000 and communicate in a language belonging to the Qiang branch, but they do not yet have their own writing system.
There have long been different opinions about the origin and ethnic affiliation of the Mosuo people. In the 50s of the last century, when the first ethnic group was identified, the Mosuo people in Ninglang and other places in Yunnan Province were officially classified as the Naxi ethnic group, while the Mosuo people in Yanyuan, Muli, Yanbian and other places in Sichuan were classified as Mongolian.
However, the majority of the Mosuo people consider themselves fundamentally different from the Naxi and Mongols, leaving this controversy unresolved. In recent years, a special research team jointly sponsored by Yunnan University and Fudan University has used genetic methods to solve the ethnographic mystery of the Mosuo people, the owners of China's most mysterious "daughter country".
Genetics is stable and mutates at a certain frequency, so it can provide clues for the history of inheritance, migration and integration of populations, and is widely used in the study of the evolution and genetic relationship of human populations.
Genetic markers can be divided into mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inherited from the maternal line, Y-chromosomal DNA (Y-DNA) inherited from the paternal line, and autosomal and X-chromosomal DNA inherited from the bilineage.
The Mosuo people have a long history and rich folk culture, and in the process of their development, they have successively integrated the elements of Tibetan culture, Naxi culture, Pumi culture and Yi culture.
In this study, the nucleotide sequences of the first hypervariable region of mitochondrial DNA, 13 SNPs and 8 STR loci on the Y chromosome were genotyped by the Mosuo people and five control populations (Pumi, Naxi, Tibetan, Yi and Bai), and the Y chromosome haplotype and mtDNA haplotype group were established.
Through the analysis of six populations, we found that a total of 10 different y-snp and mtDNA haplotypes appeared. Among them, 9, 9 and 8 haplotypes were found in the Bai, Yi and Mosuo peoples, respectively, and 8 and 5 haplotypes were found in the Tibetan and Pumi peoples in Yunnan, respectively.
It is worth noting that among the Mosuo and Tibetans, the h5, h2 and h8 haplotypes have the highest frequency, accounting for 68% and 74% of the total number of individuals, respectively. Among the Pumi people, the frequency of H2 is the highest, reaching 702%, while among the Naxi people, the h11 haplotype has the highest frequency, reaching 475%。
The frequency distribution of Bai and Yi is more scattered. It is worth noting that the H11 haplotype has the highest frequency among the Naxi people, but it is not found in the Mosuo people.
Through the analysis of 239 individuals, we found 177 mtDNA SVHI haplotypes. It is worth noting that the Mosuo people share 5 haplotypes with the Naxi people, 3 haplotypes with the Pumi people, and 2 haplotypes with the Bai, Tibetan and Yi peoples.
By observing some characteristic variation sites in the hypervariable region, we found that haplotypes can be classified into different haplotype groups, and haplotypes in the same group have a relatively close relationship in phylogenetic evolution.
The results showed that 87% of the sequences could be classified into specific haplotype groups. B, D, F, and M7 are the most common haplotypes, which can be divided into multiple subpopulations, and their frequencies are total.
Among the Mosuo people, the main haplotypes are b, d, and f, accounting for 73 of the total number of individuals8%。Similarly, the b and f frequencies of the Naxi are very close to those of the Mosuo.
In the Bai people, f and g have the highest frequency, while in the Yunnan Tibetan, Pumi and Yi peoples, a and d are the main haplotype groups, and c is also high in the Pumi people.
The results showed that the six groups in Yunnan had their own unique characteristics.
Through the sampling analysis of six ethnic groups in Yunnan, the Rst matrix of Y-STR showed that the Mosuo people had the closest genetic distance with the Tibetans in Yunnan, but their RST P value was greater than 005, so the possibility of genetic differences between the two cannot be denied.
Next are the Bai, Yi, Naxi and Yunnan Mongols and Pumi in Dali. From the mtDNA hypervariable region I data, we obtained two genetic distances with a good correlation between them (r = 0.).947, p＜0.01）。
Overall, the differences in maternal genes between groups were smaller than those in the paternal lines. Among them, the genetic distance between the Mosuo people and the Naxi people is much smaller than the distance between other populations.
The genetic distance between the Naxi, Yunnan, Zhuang and Dai ethnic groups is generally relatively small, and some are even estimated to be negative, but after testing, most of them cannot overturn the hypothesis that there is no difference.
Similarly, FST among Turkish, Uyghur, and Kazakh ethnic groups in northwest China shows a similar trend.
PCA (Principal Component Analysis) is a commonly used data dimensionality reduction method, which maps the original data to a new coordinate system through linear transformation, so as to maximize the variance of the data in the new coordinate system, so as to achieve effective compression and simplification of data, reduce redundant information, and improve the efficiency and accuracy of data analysis.
Molecular family tree.
Through principal component analysis and molecular systematics analysis of the DNA of the Mosuo people, the results of this study revealed the genetic characteristics of the Mosuo people. The study found that the paternal genetic structure of the Mosuo people was the closest to that of the Yunnan Tibetans, while the maternal genetic structure was the closest to that of the Naxi people in Lijiang, indicating that the paternal and maternal gene pools of the Mosuo people were different.
After interpreting the results, experts believe that the unique matrilineal social structure of the Mosuo people may be one of the reasons for the significant differences in their maternal and paternal genetic structures.
The matrilineal clan characteristics of the Mosuo people are different from those of other ethnic groups in China, their children live with their mothers, and the lineage is calculated by the maternal line. While men can have intimate relationships with women, they don't need to be formally married.
This system of walking marriage originated from the traditional concept of the Mosuo people and is still followed by many people today. This relatively simple social form, centered on women, makes paternal genes more complex.
Through investigation, scholars have found that the main reason for the huge contrast between maternal and paternal genes of the Mosuo people is gene exchange. The survey also found that the similarities in the matrilineal genetic structure between the Mosuo and the Naxi are consistent with linguistic and historical similarities, but they also incorporate the blood of other fraternal ethnic groups in the process of migration and residence.
The Mosuo people have a long history of faith, and their main belief is the Daba religion, which has a close connection with the Dongba religion of the Naxi people in Lijiang. However, compared with Dongbaism, Dabaism developed more slowly and maintained the characteristics of primitive tribal religions.
At the same time, the Mosuo people also believe in Lamaism, which comes from the Tibetan Lamaism. In recent years, some Mosuo people have also begun to believe in ** religion.
The Mosuo people live in harsh primeval forests and high mountains, where resources are scarce, there is little land for farming, and people's economy is mainly based on tourism.
The Mosuo people eat rice and corn as their staple foods, and also eat barley, barley, artichoke, etc. They eat fresh vegetables as a seasonal accompaniment, and pipa meat is the most prized, as well as delicacies such as stuffed pig's feet, sausages, and rice sausages.
They like to drink butter tea before the main meal, with a fine sauce as an accompaniment. Men and women of all ages love to drink Salema. The Mosuo family is dominated by matrilineal families, and family members are equal to men, women, and children.
In the family's diet, the housewife will distribute the dishes reasonably according to the amount of food and labor contribution of each person, and the dishes that are difficult to obtain will also be evenly distributed. When dividing the dishes, respect the elders first, and then give them to the younger ones to show politeness.
Except for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner during the Spring Festival, the average sharing of food is the rule of the Mosuo people, and everyone sits around the fire, taking what they need and no longer sharing the food.
"Ruohasshe" is a special full moon celebration ceremony of the Mosuo people in Lugu Lake, which is generally held by the married man for the child at the woman's home. The literal translation ceremony of "looking for the doll's meal" symbolizes the joy of the full moon of the Mosuo children.
When children reach the age of 13, they are given the Rite of Eng, a ritual that marks the soul of a Mosuo child, who can participate in productive labor and social activities as adults.
This ceremony is usually held in the early morning of the first day of the lunar calendar, with the boy standing under the pillar on the left side of the main house and the girl standing under the pillar on the right, symbolizing that the future life will be full of happiness and wealth.
The bonfire burns brightly, illuminating the darkness of the night, and people gather around the bonfire, talking and laughing, and the cheerful atmosphere fills the air.
The Mosuo marriage culture is a unique form of marriage, also known as the "marriage culture". At the heart of this culture is the fact that men and women build trust through visits and songs before deciding whether or not to get married.
Walking marriage does not mean chaotic and promiscuous marriage, but there are strict norms and principles, such as people who are related by blood cannot go to marriage, nor can they associate with multiple partners at the same time, once the relationship breaks down, the marriage relationship will end.
Although some people say that the Mosuo people did not know who their father was, this is not the case. When the Mosuo people grew up, their mother would tell them who their father was.
Therefore, all the Mosuo people knew about their father, but they did not live with him. In general, the Mosuo culture of walking marriage is a unique form of marriage, emphasizing the establishment of affection and trust, rather than simple material and physical needs.
In the matrilineal family of the Mosuo people, the mother is regarded as the nucleus and pillar of the family. Matrilineal families are usually descendants of the same or several maternal grandmothers, ranging from a dozen to a dozen.
In this family, the man does not have to marry, and the woman does not have to marry. At night, women receive men from other families at home, and men live with women from other families.
The children born belong to the woman, and the blood relationship is calculated according to the maternal line, and the property is also inherited according to the maternal line. The main duty of a man is to raise the children of his sisters. In matrilineal families, women enjoy a high status.
The family is usually headed by a most capable, just, and prestigious woman, who is known as "Idudab" or "Dab". She is the head of the family and is responsible for all internal and external affairs.
She usually arises naturally and does not require elections or rituals. All members of the family are absolutely obedient to Dab's arrangement. Adult males in matrilineal families usually carry out their activities in the capacity and name of an uncle.
They did their best to assist the "Dab", participate in all the activities of the family, raise the children, and maintain the matrilineal family together. When they are old, they are usually cared for by their sisters' children.
In the Mosuo matrilineal family, only the family members who are "of the same root" (the same matrilineal bloodline) are relatives, including mothers, daughters, sons, and uncles.
Other "fathers", "wives", etc., are considered outsiders.