Ancient DNA study of canid remains excavated from the Houtaomuga archaeological site, Northeast China

The Houtaomuga site is located at the southern end of the Songnen Plain, in the confluence area of the rivers in the lower reaches of the Nen River, which has always been a densely populated region of ancient human activities in Northeast China. This study conducted ancient DNA (aDNA) experiments on 20 canine bone samples excavated from the Houtaomuga site, successfully extracting 12 ancient canine mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences. Through aDNA analysis, the study determined the species of the canine remains from the Houtaomuga site, and combined the results with archaeological research, emphasizing that the domestic dogs from the Houtaomuga site may have been closely related to those in Northeast Asia. Furthermore, this suggests that as early as the Late Neolithic period, the Eurasian steppe had already become an important conduit for cultural exchanges between the East and West. Furthermore, the presence of Haplotype C domestic dogs at the site provides direct genetic evidence of East–West interaction in the far eastern region of the Eurasian continent.