India's evolutionary past tied to huge migration 50,000 years ago and to now-extinct human relatives

By Emily Cooke published March 11, 2024

Modern Indians inherited genes from what is now Tajikistan and a diverse set of DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans, new research reveals.


Researchers have gleaned new insights into India's evolutionary history after conducting the largest genome study of its kind.

Scientists analyzed more than 2,700 modern Indian genomes from 17 states, including DNA from individuals from most geographic regions, speakers of all major languages, tribal and caste groups.

They revealed that one of the three main ancestral groups in India — ancient Iranian farmers — can be traced back to a group of agricultural farmers from Sarazm in modern-day Tajikistan. They also uncovered the extraordinary diversity of DNA inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans, the closest, now-extinct relatives of modern humans.

Additionally, the team found that most of the genetic variation within the current Indian population stems from a single, major migration event of modern humans to India from Africa around 50,000 years ago.

The researchers described their findings in a preprint paper published Feb. 20 on the bioRxiv database.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/indias-evolutionary-past-tied-to-huge-migration-50000-years-ago-and-to-now-extinct-human-relatives