Ancient genomic profile of the Shatuo Turkic leader Li Keyong

Yao Yu; Xiaoguang Zhu; Xin Chang; Zixiao Huang; Panxin Du; Xiaoying Ren; Baoshuai Zhang; Ke Wang; Yishan Wu; Sheng Han; Li Jin; Yi Zheng; Hailiang Meng; Shaoqing Wen

doi:10.1016/j.jgg.2026.04.015

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Ancient genomic profile of the Shatuo Turkic leader Li Keyong

doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2026.04.015

a. Department of History, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China;
b. Dai County Cultural Relics Protection Institute (Museum), Xinzhou, Shanxi 034000, China;
c. Institute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China;
d. Karamay Silk Road Digital Economy and Industrial Integration Innovation Research Center, Karamay, Xinjiang 834000, China;
e. MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China;
f. Center for the Belt and Road Archaeology and Ancient Civilizations, Shanghai 200433, China

Funds:

ZD285).

We thank Professors Wenlai Li, Shuanghua Xu, and Bin Chai from Shanxi Agricultural University for their contributions. This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32070576, 32570745), Lantai Young Scholars Program of Chinese History Institute (2022LTQN602), the National Social Science Fund of China (19VJX074), the National Key Research and Development Program (2020YFE0201600), Major Special Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences Research of the Ministry of Education (2022JZDZ023), Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at Fudan University (SKLGE-2310), Open Research Fund of Forensic Genetics Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Public Security (2023FGKFKT07), European Research Council (ERC) grant (ERC-2019-ADG-883700-TRAM), and the Major Project of the National Social Science Foundation of China (21&

Received Date: 2025-11-18
Accepted Date: 2026-04-21
Rev Recd Date: 2026-04-19

Available Online: 2026-04-29

Abstract

Abstract

The Shatuo Turks played a pivotal role in late Tang and Five Dynasties China. However, similar to other Turkic groups, the genetic history and population origins of the Shatuo remain poorly understood. This study presents a genomic investigation of a Shatuo leader through the analysis of ancient DNA from Li Keyong (856 CE–908 CE), founder of the Later Tang dynasty, providing an opportunity to elucidate the genetic composition and origins of this pivotal group. Through comprehensive population genetic analyses, including PCA, ADMIXTURE analysis, f-statistics, and qpAdm modeling, it has been found that Li Keyong had a nearly balanced admixture, with 53.4% Ancient Northeast Asian and 46.6% Western Steppe ancestry. Additionally, he carried a Western Eurasian paternal lineage (R1a1a1b2∼AM01870) and an Eastern Steppe maternal lineage (C4a1a + 195). This genetic profile contrasts sharply with the predominantly Northeast Asian ancestry observed in the Ashina royal clan, highlighting significant genetic heterogeneity within Turkic confederations. Our results suggest that the Shatuo emerged from complex cross-Eurasian interactions, consistent with the hypothesis of a multi-ethnic origin.
- Ancient DNA,
- Hereditary elite,
- Population admixture,
- Shatuo Turks,
- Silk Road

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References(53)

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