Paleolithic spread of Y-chromosomal lineage of tribes in eastern and northeastern India
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026

Lineage Tracing and Clonal Analysis in Developing Cerebral Cortex Using Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM)
Published on: May 8, 2020
Minal Borkar1, Fahim Ahmad, Faisal Khan
1Department of Medical Genetics, SGPGIMS, Lucknow, India.
Background:
The Indian peninsula provides a suitable region for examination of the demographic impact of migrations and invasions in historical times, because its complex recent history has involved the long-term residence of different populations with distinct geographical origins and their own particular cultural characteristics.
Aim:
The aim of the present study was to analyse Y chromosome haplotypes in tribes from eastern and north-eastern India, which provided the necessary phylogeographic resolution.
Subjects And Methods:
A total of 32 Y-chromosome SNPs and 17 Y-STRs were genotyped in 607 males from nine populations (Munda, Birhor, Oraon, Paharia, Santhal, Ho, Lachung, Mech and Rajbanshi) residing in East and Northeastern India.
Results:
Y-chromosomal analysis revealed high frequency of the O2a haplogroup in Austroasiatic tribes and high haplotype diversity within specific haplogroups demonstrating a lesser degree of admixture of these populations with neighbouring populations in eastern India. In addition, the presence of O3a haplogroups in Sino-Tibetan populations reflects the influx from Southeast Asia during the demographic expansion through the Northeastern corridor.
Conclusion:
The study suggested that the majority of the male gene flow of Austroasiatic tribes occurred during the late Pleistocene period. The results suggest gene flow from Southeast Asia to Northeast India, albeit more significantly among Tibeto-Burman than Austroasiatic-speaking populations.
Related Concept Videos
The Y Chromosome Determines Maleness
Evolution
Around 300 million years ago, the two sex chromosomes diverged from two identical autosomal chromosomes. Over time, the Y chromosome has lost most of its genes, shrinking in size. Today,...
Genetics of Speciation
Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance
X and Y Chromosomes
The germline cells such as egg and sperm cells carry only half the number of chromosomes, i.e., 22 autosomes and one sex chromosome. All eggs have an X chromosome, while sperm cells can carry an X or...
Synteny and Evolution
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

