Human genetic diversity in Asia has been mapped for the first time,important implications for the study of genetics and diseases

During this time when all regions in India are joining to get seperated.....scientist are revealing the diversities of our orgins in Asia.  There are revealing facts in this genetic mapping carried out by over 90 scientist across Asia. Read on to know more....

Human genetic diversity in Asia has been mapped for the first time by a group of over 90 scientists from the Human Genome Organisation’s (HUGO’s) Pan-Asian SNP Consortium. In the process it has not only mapped of genetic diversity in Asia but also traced the genetic origins of Asian populations. This was disclosed by the Union Minister of Science and Technology Shri. Prithviraj Chavan and Shri S.K. Brahmchari, DG, CSIR at a Press Conference today(11th Dec 2009). The findings were also published online in a report in the journal “Science” today.


The human genetic mapping of Asia has important implications, especially in the further understanding of migratory patterns in human history and for the study of genetics and diseases. The study conducted within and between the different populations in the Asia continent showed that genetic ancestry was highly correlated with ethnic and linguistic groups. There was a clear increase in genetic diversity from northern to southern latitudes. The study also suggested that there was one major inflow of human migration into Asia ensuing from Southeast Asia, rather than multiple inflows from both southern and northern routes as proposed before. This indicates that Southeast Asia was the major geographic source of East Asian and North Asian populations.

Prof. Edison Liu, Executive Director at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the President of the HUGO, which initiated and coordinated this research has said that the study was a milestone not only in the science that emerged but the consortium that was formed. Prof. Partha Majumder, Prof. And head, Human Genetics Units, Indian Statistical Institute and Director, Centre for Population Genomics, Kolkata has said that this study marks a milestone of the collaboration among the geneticist from the ten Asian Countries and paves the road to a better understanding of our origin. We would like to extend this study not only in the direction of population genetics but also towards medical and health related issues.


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