Genetic Diversity in Indian Populations and Eurasian Expansion
Author Information
Author(s): Xing Jinchuan, Watkins W Scott, Hu Ya, Huff Chad D, Sabo Aniko, Muzny Donna M, Bamshad Michael J, Gibbs Richard A, Jorde Lynn B, Yu Fuli
Primary Institution: Department of Human Genetics, Eccles Institute of Human Genetics, University of Utah
Hypothesis
Do Indian populations exhibit significant genetic diversity that has not been adequately captured by previous studies?
Conclusion
Indian populations have large amounts of genetic variation that have not been adequately surveyed by public SNP discovery efforts.
Supporting Evidence
- 30% of SNPs in the south Indian populations are not seen in HapMap populations.
- Some Indian populations have nucleotide diversity levels comparable to HapMap African populations.
- The divergence time estimates suggest that Eurasian populations diverged from Africans approximately 90 to 110 thousand years ago.
Takeaway
Scientists studied the DNA of 92 people from India and found many unique genetic variations that weren't noticed before, showing that Indian populations are very diverse.
Methodology
The study resequenced a 100-kb ENCODE region in 92 samples from four population groups in Andhra Pradesh, India, and compared the results with eight HapMap populations.
Potential Biases
The sample may not effectively represent all Indian populations due to the focus on specific castes and a tribal group.
Limitations
The study is based on a single 100-kb region, which may not represent the entire genome's history.
Participant Demographics
Participants included individuals from three castes (Brahmin, Yadava, Mala/Madiga) and one tribal group (Irula) from Andhra Pradesh.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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