New Study Uncovers Genetic Heritage of Nicobarese People
A new genetic study has provided fresh insights into the genetic origins of the Nicobarese. Researchers from nine institutions, co-led by Prof. Gyaneshwer Chaubey of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, and Dr. Kumarasamy Thangaraj of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis utilizing DNA markers inherited from both parents, as well as those exclusively from mothers and fathers.
Situated in the eastern Indian Ocean, the Nicobar Islands lie to the south of the Andaman Islands. This archipelago is primarily composed of seven major islands, such as Car Nicobar and Great Nicobar, along with numerous smaller islands, featuring flat terrain, coral reefs, and sandy shores. The population of Nicobarese people is estimated to be around 25,000.
This enabled them to investigate the ancestry and genetic connections of the Nicobarese with populations in South and Southeast Asia. The results of this groundbreaking research were recently published in the European Journal of Human Genetics.
Earlier theories proposed that the linguistic forebears of the Nicobarese arrived in the Nicobar Islands during the early Holocene, approximately 11,700 years ago. However, our recent genetic study on the Nicobarese, which included 1,559 participants from South and Southeast Asia, reveals a notable ancestral link between the Nicobarese and Austroasiatic language-speaking groups throughout South and Southeast Asia," stated Dr. Thangaraj.
"But, our studies also suggest that the Nicobar islanders settled there approximately only 5000 years ago," said Dr Thangaraj.
The research prominently emphasized the genetic closeness between the Htin Mal of mainland Southeast Asia and the Nicobarese population among these Austroasiatic groups. Nevertheless, the Htin Mal have preserved significant ethnic uniqueness over time, showing a marked genetic divergence from the Nicobarese,
Professor Gyaneshwer Chaubey, the principal author of the research, stated that the genomic regions common among linguistic groups indicate an ancient spread of Austroasiatic populations in Southeast Asia. He also mentioned that, 'Our research strongly suggests that the Nicobarese and the Htin Mal are important genetic representatives for studying ancient Austroasiatic ancestry.' According to archaeologist Sachin K Tiwari, the genetic discovery is strengthening the archaeological link between South and Southeast Asia.
The team consists of Dr. Rahul Mishra, Dr. Prajjval Pratap Singh, Shailesh Desai, Pratik Pandey, and Dr. Sachin Tiwari from BHU; Dr. Niraj Rai from BSIP Lucknow; Dr. Rakesh Tamang from Calcutta University; and Dr. Prashanth Suravajhala from Amrita Vishwavidyapeetham.