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It's a very significant day in science for China: the first genetic map of the Han Chinese has been published by the American Journal of Human Genetics. The study was conducted at the Genome Institue of Singapore, and draws from 8,200 DNA samples from ethnically Han Chinese all over China and in Singapore.
Through genetic variations, the map draws a historical picture of the migration of the Han from north to south. By assessing the 0.3% variations in genetic structure, scientists are able to conclude whether someone is ethnically Han, where their ancestral place of origin is, and can even tell what dialect group of Han they belong to, as genetic variation follows changes in dialect.
More importantly, the genetic map will help scientists to understand and how genes can make people more susceptible to disease, and will help to find medical methods to treat and prevent them. All things considered, a genome map for China is a great step forward for the country. It's also an interesting and novel way of looking at the "Nine Nations of China", but we admit it's not quite as entertaining a map as the ones Chinese people make for themselves.
Photo from James Fallows @ The Atlantic
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Not sure where you draw these conclusions about someone's ethnicity from but the paper only talks about the genetic spread of the "Alcohol Allergy" gene that many Han chinese seem to have but its not necessary an indication that they're Han any more than say having blonde hair makes you Ayran.
The actual paper is here http://info.med.yale.edu/genetics/kkidd/485.pdf
No I understand what he is saying though. In the article they *concluded* that ALDH2∗504Lys was carried by the Han population from the north "centeral plains" to the southern current day Han centers. This is based on their assumption that ALDH2∗504Lys cannot have originated after settling of the Han population at their current southern population centers which does not account for the rapid expansion of ALDH2∗504Lys to the North. But you are right, it doesn't directly say anything about ethnicity only that it only tells as what we already know, that the Han came down from the central plain. Or something like that. I only randomly skimmed the article.
correlation not equal to causation.
hey, I don't know what I'm talking about.
Hey Kuldaen, we're both wrong. The paper you linked is not the paper he linked. I read your linked paper only.