This has relevance to us in Goa because we are genetically completely Indian. The video below refers to an older study on 25 population groups published in 2009. The latest study by the same authors expands the data set to include 73 groups, although none of which is taken from the Goan population. The 2013 study to which I am referring is entitled:
"Genetic evidence for recent population mixture in India" by Moorjani P, Thangaraj K, Patterson N, Lipson M, Loh PR, Govindaraj P, Berger B, Reich D, and Singh L. in American Journal of Human Genetics (2013, Sep 5;volume 93, issue 3, pages 422-438). The salient findings from this most recent study are as follows: 1. The population of India, including all castes and tribes, is very homogeneous with thorough admixture of ancestral north Indians (Indo-Europeans) and ancestral south Indians (Dravidians). 2. The admixture took place between 1900 and 4200 years ago before the institution of caste-based endogamy i.e. marriage strictly within the caste or tribal group. 3. The caste system is therefore relatively recent with an origin around 1900 years ago. 4. Ancestral north Indians and ancestral south Indians lived in or near India for a long time before 4000 years ago without mixing. 5. There was little or no admixture between population groups in India after 1900 years ago. 6. The findings also confirm the fact the ancestral north Indian components of the genetic make up of Indians are related to those of west Eurasians. The specific groups from the latter category that this study tested were European Americans, Basque, Georgians and Iranians. 7. The study therefore also confirms the idea of Indo-European migration into India, although the actual date of migration could not be established by this study. 8. The period of admixture estimated by this study i.e. 1900 - 4200 years before the present has been recognized by other studies (archeological and scriptural) as a period of great transformation, involving deurbanization of the Indus civilization i.e. abandonment of the cities in the Indus valley, substantial changes in burial practices, and the first appearance of Vedic religious practices and Indo-European dialects. Cheers, Santosh Frederick FN Noronha * फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا fredericknoronha1 at gmail.com wrote: > >... what are its implications to understanding society, caste, etc? Not >very new, but probably not sufficiently noticed! > >Dr. Satyajit Rath on "Aryan Dravidian Divide" >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBADFgmxcE4 >-- >FN Phone +91-832-2409490 Mobile +91-9822122436
