Hyderabad, Dec 6 (PTI) A recent genetic study by a group of researchers from nine institutions on Nicobarese people indicated that the islanders shared a significant ancestral connection with Austroasiatic populations across South and Southeast Asia.

The researchers co-led by Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and Prof. Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, conducted a detailed genetic analysis, using DNA markers.

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Findings of the pioneering study have been recently published in the European Journal of Human Genetics, a press release from CCMB said.

“Previous theories suggested that the linguistic ancestors of the Nicobarese settled in the Nicobar archipelago during the early Holocene, about 11,700 years ago.

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However, our new genetic research on Nicobarese, involving 1,559 individuals from South and Southeast Asia, indicate a significant ancestral connection 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,” Dr Thangaraj said.

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

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

Dr Vinay K. Nandicoori, Director of CSIR-CCMB, said, “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,” 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.

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