Rajasthan's DNA linked more closely to Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat than Pakistan: Study

The genetic makeup of the people of Rajasthan is linked far more closely to the populations of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat than to those of PakistanProfessor Gyaneshwar Chaubey a geneticist at Banaras Hindu University presented this conclusion during a researchbased lecture at the international seminar titled Rajasthan Antiquity and Transformation held at the Vedic Science Centre auditoriumAt this twoday seminar organised by the Varanasi Institute of History in collaboration with the Indian Council of Historical Research ICHR New Delhi Chaubey presented findings from his longterm DNA study on various castes and tribes of RajasthanHe clearly stated that rather than leaning towards Pakistan in the west the genetic profile of Rajasthans population shows the closest affinity with the centralwestern region of the Indian subcontinent particularly Madhya Pradesh and GujaratA 2005 study by French scientist Lluis QuintanaMurci and international collaborators based primarily on mitochondrial DNA and Ychromosomes had previously depicted the genetic landscape of the Indus Valley and surrounding areas in a way that suggested a close affinity between the populations of Rajasthan and presentday PakistanThis was interpreted as evidence of longstanding gene flow from west to east across the northwestern frontierSubsequent autosomal research conducted by Chaubey and his colleagues has significantly revised this picture An analysis involving 669 individuals from the Meena and Gujjar communities as well as the general mixed population of Rajasthan utilising various statistical measures of genetic distance and clustering revealed that these populations are more closely related to groups from North and Central India than to the populations across the border in PakistanThis discrepancy arises because earlier studies such as one in 2005 examined only small segments of DNA whereas the current study sequenced the entire genome The data clearly indicate that the primary genetic makeup of most Rajasthani communities is linked to a broad Indian cline rather than a simple WestPakistan continuumGenomewide analyses conducted by Chaubeyacirciquestiquests team consistently show that the studied populations of Rajasthan share greater genetic affinity with groups from NorthCentral India than with populations across the border in PakistanThis genetic study incorporated data from 669 individuals belonging to the Meena and Gujjar communities and the general mixed population of RajasthanDuring the seminar Chaubey elaborated specifically on the study of the Bhil tribe The Bhil is Indias secondlargest tribe distributed across WesternCentral India specifically Rajasthan Gujarat Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra Their genomewide study indicates that Bhil groups from various regions share a common PanBhil ancestryAdmixture with neighbouring populations was found to be lowest among the Bhils of Gujarat whereas the Bhils of Rajasthan exhibited the highest levels of diversity and admixture with surrounding castes and tribes It is this admixture that establishes Rajasthan as a genetic bridgeChaubey stated The DNA of the Bhil tribe constitutes a significant component of Indias genetic foundation The castes and tribes of Rajasthan bear the imprint of a common ancient ancestor This represents not merely sociocultural continuity but a scientific continuity evident in both maternal and paternal lineagesThe most notable part of the lecture was the presentation of mitochondrial DNA lineages dating back approximately 52000 years found among the castes and tribes of Rajasthan Since mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to offspring it preserves the most ancient layer of maternal lineageIndiaspecific haplogroups including lineages such as M R5 and U2i are linked to the early settlement of modern humans in South Asia these are estimated to be between 50000 and 70000 years oldChaubey demonstrated that these ancient maternal lineages persist today in both the castes and tribes of Rajasthan This implies that the current population of Rajasthan is not the result of external replacement but rather of deeprooted local continuityWhen these studies are viewed together a clear picture of Rajasthan emerges its population is linked more closely to the GujaratMadhya Pradesh axis of the Indian heartland than to the western border there is genetic continuity between tribes and castes and the roots of these maternal lineages extend back to the Palaeolithic eraThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever