Complex genetic origin of Indian populations and its implications

Indian populations are classified into various caste, tribe and religious groups, which altogether makes them very unique compared to rest of the world. The long-term firm socio-religious boundaries and the strict endogamy practices along with the evolutionary forces have further supplemented the ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of biosciences 2012-11, Vol.37 (5), p.911-919
Main Authors: Tamang, Rakesh, Singh, Lalji, Thangaraj, Kumarasamy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological Evolution
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cell Biology
Chromosomes
DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics
Ethnic Groups - genetics
Gene Flow
Genetic diversity
Genetic Markers
Genetic Variation
Genetics, Population
Genomics
Haplotypes
Humans
India
Life Sciences
Microbiology
Microsatellite Repeats
Migration
Phylogeny
Plant Sciences
researchers
Social Class
Time Factors
Zoology
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Summary:Indian populations are classified into various caste, tribe and religious groups, which altogether makes them very unique compared to rest of the world. The long-term firm socio-religious boundaries and the strict endogamy practices along with the evolutionary forces have further supplemented the existing high-level diversity. As a result, drawing definite conclusions on its overall origin, affinity, health and disease conditions become even more sophisticated than was thought earlier. In spite of these challenges, researchers have undertaken tireless and extensive investigations using various genetic markers to estimate genetic variation and its implication in health and diseases. We have demonstrated that the Indian populations are the descendents of the very first modern humans, who ventured the journey of out-of-Africa about 65,000 years ago. The recent gene flow from east and west Eurasia is also evident. Thus, this review attempts to summarize the unique genetic variation among Indian populations as evident from our extensive study among approximately 20,000 samples across India.
ISSN:0250-5991
0973-7138
DOI:10.1007/s12038-012-9256-9