New Delhi [India], December 8: A recent genetic study has provided new insights into the origins of the Nicobarese people, a group of around 25,000 individuals living in the Nicobar Islands, located south of the Andaman Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean. The research, led by Prof. Gyaneshwer Chaubey from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Dr. Kumarasamy Thangaraj from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), involved a detailed analysis of DNA markers inherited from both parents, including those passed down exclusively from mothers and fathers.
The study, published in the European Journal of Human Genetics, explores the genetic connections between the Nicobarese and populations from South and Southeast Asia. The findings challenge earlier theories that suggested the Nicobarese ancestors arrived in the islands around 11,700 years ago during the early Holocene. Instead, the study indicates that the Nicobarese likely settled in the archipelago only around 5,000 years ago.
Dr. Thangaraj, one of the study’s co-authors, noted, “Our genetic research reveals a significant ancestral link between the Nicobarese and Austroasiatic-speaking populations of South and Southeast Asia.” One notable finding was the genetic affinity between the Nicobarese and the Htin Mal people of mainland Southeast Asia. However, despite this shared ancestry, the Htin Mal community has retained a distinct genetic identity over time, exhibiting considerable genetic drift from the Nicobarese.
Prof. George van Driem, a prominent linguist from Bern University, commented on the findings, emphasizing the importance of the Nicobarese and Htin Mal as key genetic proxies for understanding the ancient Austroasiatic heritage. “Genomic regions shared across linguistic groups point to an ancient distribution of Austroasiatic populations across Southeast Asia,” said Prof. Chaubey, the study’s lead author.
Archaeologist Sachin K. Tiwari highlighted the broader significance of the study, stating that the genetic evidence further strengthens the archaeological connections between South and Southeast Asia.
The research team included 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.