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Genetic Heritage of the Nicobarese
Context:
Recent genetic research has unveiled fascinating insights into the ancestry of the Nicobarese people.
More on News:
- The research was conducted by scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi.
- The Nicobarese share a profound ancestral connection with Austroasiatic populations across South and Southeast Asia.
Key Findings:
- Ancestral Timeline: Contrary to earlier theories suggesting that the Nicobarese settled in the Nicobar archipelago around 11,700 years ago, the new research indicates that their ancestors arrived approximately 5,000 years ago.
- Genetic Affinity: The study highlights a common genetic affinity between the Nicobarese and the Htin Mal community, an Austroasiatic-speaking group from mainland Southeast Asia. Despite this connection, the Htin Mal have maintained remarkable ethnic distinctness over time.
- Genomic Analysis: Researchers conducted a detailed genetic analysis using DNA markers inherited from both parents, as well as exclusively maternal and paternal markers.
Historical Background:
- The Nicobarese are the largest indigenous group living in the Nicobar Islands, an archipelago located in the eastern Indian Ocean, south of the Andaman Islands.
- The Nicobar Islands are part of India, situated near the equator and home to several distinct tribal communities.
- The tribal communities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have lived in isolation for thousands of years, offering a glimpse into humanity’s ancient past. These tribes depend heavily on hunting, gathering, and a deep knowledge of the natural environment, showing exceptional skills such as identifying coconut varieties, fishing, and bird hunting.
- The islands’ tribal population is small, with only around 28,000 people across all tribes. Many have faced the challenges of colonisation, diseases, and natural disasters, leading to a significant reduction in their numbers.
Nicobarese Tribe:
- The Nicobarese are the largest tribe in the Nicobar Islands, with a strong presence across the region. They live in joint families known as Tuhet, which collectively own land, pigs, and coconuts.
- The Nicobarese practice love marriage, a high marriage age, and betel nut consumption. Skilled in arts such as pottery, basketwork, and canoe making, they also engage in farming and government jobs.
- Their social life includes festivals, sports, and frequent communal feasting, dancing, and singing.
Division of Tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Negrito Tribes of the Andaman Islands: The Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, and Sentinelese tribes, characterised by dark skin and diminutive stature.
- Negrito tribes are believed to have arrived up to 60,000 years ago from Africa and remain nomadic hunter-gatherers.
- Mongoloid Tribes of the Nicobar Islands: The Nicobarese and Shompen tribes, who likely migrated from the Malay-Burma coast several thousand years ago.
