Genetic structure of the Manne Dora, a tribal population of Andhra Pradesh

The Manne Dora, a small tribe inhabiting the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, South India, have been studied for 24 genetic markers, including blood groups, plasma proteins, and red cell enzymes. A genetic distance analysis was used to test whether this tribe was part of another tribe, the Konda Dora, and to clarify its divergence from other tribal populations of Andhra Pradesh. The dendrogram and principal components analysis reveal clustering of the tribal populations in close agreement with geographic distance. The study indicates that the Manne Dora may have been genetically part of the Konda Dora and separated only recently.