[India West Journal] Veddas Of Sri Lanka Have Close Genetic Affinity With Indians, Reveals Study

A landmark study conducted by 10 researchers from five institutions has revealed that the Vedda, an indigenous group of Sri Lanka, has a close genetic affinity with the Indian population. The study involved a comprehensive analysis of high-resolution autosomal and mitochondrial genomes and shed new light on the initial peopling of Sri Lanka and the ancient genetic ties between the Vedda and other populations in Asia.

Despite the lack of close linguistic similarities, the Vedda people share a significant genetic link with the ethnic populations in India. The study suggests a close genetic connection between the Vedda and Indian ethnic populations speaking various tongues, pointing towards a deep-rooted history that predates linguistic diversifications.

The study also proposes that the Vedda population has undergone genetic drift and a recent bottleneck, resulting in a unique genetic makeup with limited gene flow from neighboring Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil populations¹. This unique discovery challenges the conventional isolation-by-distance model and underscores the distinct demographic history of the Vedda.

The implications of this research are vast, offering novel perspectives on the demographic history of not only Sri Lanka but also the broader South Asian region. This study underscores the complex mosaic of human migration and genetic diversity in South Asia, revealing how the Vedda have preserved their genetic identity over millennia despite massive cultural and linguistic changes around them.

Source: Conversation with Bing
Veddas of Sri Lanka Have Close Genetic Affinity With Indians, Reveals Study.
https://indiawest.com/veddas-of-sri-lanka-have-close-genetic-affinity-with-indians-reveals-study/