Classification of archaic rice grains excavated at the Mojiaoshan site within the Liangzhu site complex reveals an Indica and Japonica chloroplast complex

Archaeogenetic analysis of archaic rice grains from the Mojiaoshan site, dating to 2940–2840 BC during China's Liangzhu Period, reveals a complex mix of Indica and Japonica chloroplast types. The study identified eight distinct plastid groups (type I–VIII) among recovered grains, indicating that rice with diverse maternal lineages was stored together at the site. Notably, type V grains matched modern Indica accessions used in genetic research, suggesting their maternal ancestor was present during this ancient period. The findings demonstrate the potential of archaeogenetic analysis to preserve and study genetic information from aged rice materials, offering insights into domestication traits and evolutionary history.

Tanaka, K., Zhao, C., Wang, N., Kubota, S., Kanehara, M., Kamijo, N., Ishikawa, R., Tasaki, H., Kanehara, M., Liu, B., Chen, M., Nakamura, S.-i., Udatsu, T., & Wang, C. (2020). Classification of archaic rice grains excavated at the Mojiaoshan site within the Liangzhu site complex reveals an Indica and Japonica chloroplast complex. Food Production, Processing and Nutrition, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-020-00028-8