Intermixing of Population happened in India for 2,300 years

As per the scientists from the Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Harvard Medical School, Indian population was derived from two major ancestral populations Ancestral North Indians (ANI) and Ancestral South Indians (ASI) which don’t have major genetic differences. The ANI-derived populations and ASI-derived populations mixed together to form the modern day population in the long time period of 2300 years. This admixing continued for an extended period until practice of endogamy became the norm.

 The extent of admixture increased among the groups including the isolated tribes like the Paliyar that live in Kodaikanal Hills and Bhil that are primarily located in Rajasthan. But some populations like the Vysya from Andhra Pradesh didn’t experience the mixing from neighbouring groups in India for around 3,000 years.

What is ANI and ASI population?

The ANI population is related to West Eurasians (people of Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Europe) where as the ASI population is specifically related to the indigenous Andaman Islanders.

No significant difference between groups across the Indian population:

As per researchers, Indians as a whole do not have major genetic differences even though endogamy has been largely practiced for the last 1,900 years. The endogamy in the respective admixtured populations ensured that no further gene mixture happened between groups for the last 1,900 years and then later caste came and significantly reduced the chances of admixture and made it nearly zero.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2013

Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs