New genetic research indicates Austroasiatic connection of Nicobarese

Hyderabad: New genetic research on Nicobarese indicates their significant ancestral connection with Austroasiatic populations across South and Southeast Asia.

The study into the genetic origin of Nicobarese also suggests that the Nicobar islanders settled there approximately 5000 years ago.

The genetic study by a group of researchers from nine institutions co-led by Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and Prof. Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, revealed new insights into the genetic origin of Nicobarese.

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According to a statement by CSIR-CCMB, the researchers conducted a detailed genetic analysis, using DNA markers that are inherited exclusively from mothers and fathers respectively, and those from both parents. This helped them to explore the ancestry and genetic affinities of the Nicobarese with South and Southeast Asian populations.

The findings of this pioneering study have been recently published in the European Journal of Human Genetics.

The Nicobar Islands are situated in the eastern Indian Ocean and south of the Andaman Islands. The archipelago consists of seven large islands, including Car Nicobar and Great Nicobar, and numerous smaller ones, characterised by flat topography, coral reefs and sandy beaches. Nicobarese people are estimated to be approximately 25,000.

“Previous theories suggested that the linguistic ancestors of the Nicobarese settled in the Nicobar archipelago during the early Holocene, about 11,700 years ago. However, our new genetic research on Nicobarese, involving 1,559 individuals from South and Southeast Asia, indicates a significant ancestral connection of Nicobarese shared with Austroasiatic populations across South and Southeast Asia. But, our studies also suggest that the Nicobar islanders settled there approximately only 5000 years ago,” said Dr Thangaraj.

The study notably highlighted the common genetic affinity of the Htin Mal with Nicobarese. Htin Mal is a population in the mainland of Southeast Asia, who speak an Austroasiatic language. The Htin Mal community has maintained remarkable ethnic distinctness over time, exhibiting a pronounced genetic drift from the Nicobarese.

“Genomic regions shared across linguistic groups suggest an ancient distribution of Austroasiatic populations in Southeast Asia,” said Prof. Gyaneshwer Chaubey, the lead author of the study. He further said, “Our findings compellingly argue that the Nicobarese and the Htin Mal represent valuable genetic proxies for understanding ancient Austroasiatic heritage.”

“This research opens up new avenues for understanding the rich tapestry of genetic diversity in Southeast Asia and highlights the importance of preserving the cultural and genetic heritage of Indigenous populations,” said Dr Vinay K. Nandicoori, Director of CSIR-CCMB.