Ancient DNA is revealing the genetic landscape of people who first settled East Asia

The very first human beings originally emerged in Africa before spreading across Eurasia about 60,000 years ago. After that, the story of humankind heads down many different paths, some more well-studied than others. Eastern regions of Eurasia are home to approximately 2.3 billion people today ࢀ" roughly 30% of the worldࢀ™s population. Archaeologists know from fossils and artifacts that modern humans have occupied Southeast Asia for 60,000 years and East Asia for 40,000 years. ADVERTISEMENT But thereࢀ™s a lot left to untangle. Who were the people who first came to these regions and eventually developed agriculture? Where did different populations…