Genomic Diversity in People of India

Book excerpt: This book is the output of Anthropological Survey of India's National Project "DNA Polymorphism of Contemporary Indian Population" conducted during 2000 to 2018. The book compiles the independent and collaborative work of 49 scientific personnel. Genomics facilitate the study of genetic constitution and diversity at individual and population levels. Genomic diversity explains susceptibility, predisposition and prolongation of diseases; personalized medicine and longevity; prehistoric demographic events, such as population bottleneck, expansion, admixture and natural selection. This book highlights the heterogeneous, genetically diverse population of India. It shows how the central geographic location of India, played a crucial role in historic and pre-historic human migrations, and in peopling different continents of the world. The book describes the massive task undertaken by AnSI to unearth genomic diversity of India populations, with the use of Uni-parental DNA markers mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) and Y –chromosome in 75 communities. The book talks about the 61 maternal and 35 paternal lineages identified through these studies. It brings forth interesting, hitherto unknown findings such as shared mutations between certain communities. This volume is a milestone in scientific research to understand biological diversity of Indian people at genomic level. It addresses the basic priority to identify different genes underlying various inborn genetic defects and diseases specific to Indian populations. This would be highly interesting to population geneticists, historians, as well as anthropologists.