CSIR-CCMB Genetic study on people in Lakshadweep Islands: Key Findings

The genetic studies were undertaken on the people of the Lakshadweep archipelago by the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). The findings of the study are:

• Majority of human ancestry in Lakshadweep was largely derived from South Asia with minor influences from East and West Eurasia.
• The study demonstrated close genetic link of Lakshadweep islanders with Maldives, Sri Lanka and India.
• Since early human migration from Africa to Andaman and Australia happened through western coast of India, It was presumed that Lakshadweep Islands might have played a major role in early human migration. But there was no evidence of early human migration through the Lakshadweep islands.
• There was a strong founders effect for both paternal and maternal lineages a sign that the island population had limited genetic mixing.
• The first human settlement of this archipelago is not clear.

This first genetic study on Lakshadweep islanders may further lead to the study of their health profiles in near future.