A groundbreaking genetic study published in Science on December 19, 2025, reveals how prehistoric cattle migration patterns shaped cultural exchanges across East Asia's ancient Silk Road networks. Led by Professor Cai Dawei of Jilin University with collaborators from Seoul National University and Chinese archaeological institutions, the research analyzes 166 bovine specimens spanning 10,000 years.
The team's genomic dataset shows East Asian cattle emerged through multiple waves of introduction from western Eurasia and South Asia, rather than single domestication. Notably, 5,000-year-old cattle remains from the Yellow River basin show interbreeding between imported taurine cattle and local wild aurochs, forming distinct regional populations that supported early agropastoral societies.
"These genetic pathways mirror the same corridors where silk, technologies, and ideas later flowed," Professor Cai told KhabarAsia. The study identifies Xinjiang as a critical hub, with Bronze Age cattle there carrying both Western and South Asian genetic markers before spreading eastward.
The findings provide biological evidence of cross-continental interactions predating formal Silk Road establishment by millennia. Researchers emphasize how livestock mobility enabled knowledge transfer between ancient Chinese civilizations and western Eurasian cultures.
