India has a high genetic diversity. Do you know what shaped this diversity? If your guess is geography, you're wrong.

@AritraBose90 and team show the present day genetic structure of India is shaped by two major factors: LANGUAGE and CASTE. https://academic.oup.com/mbe/advance-article/doi/10.1093/molbev/msaa321/6108106
Integrating Linguistics, Social Structure, and Geography to Model Genetic Diversity within India

Abstract. India represents an intricate tapestry of population substructure shaped by geography, language, culture and social stratification. While geography cl

https://academic.oup.com/mbe/advance-article/doi/10.1093/molbev/msaa321/6108106
You'll be astonished to learn how many languages are spoken in India. Do you know what's the disadvantage of have so many languages ? Difficulty in communication. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/more-than-19500-mother-tongues-spoken-in-india-census-5241056/
More than 19,500 mother tongues spoken in India: Census

There are 121 languages which are spoken by 10,000 or more people in India, which has a population of 121 crore, the report said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/more-than-19500-mother-tongues-spoken-in-india-census-5241056/
I am from Tamil Nadu. I struggle to communicate with people in my neighbor states as much I do in a foreign country. This results in people marrying within communities who speak same languages.
More than language, the most powerful factor that shaped Indian genetic structure is endogamy (i.e. marrying within a caste community). This has been in practice for hundreds of years. I've wrote a thread about this before. https://twitter.com/doctorveera/status/1313432891968417793?s=20
Even today a majority of the Indians prefer to marry within their caste. if you've watched this Netflix series, you might have already got an idea about this caste based marriage system. https://www.netflix.com/dk-en/title/80244565
Indian Matchmaking | Netflix Official Site

Matchmaker Sima Taparia guides clients in the U.S. and India in the arranged marriage process, offering an inside look at the custom in a modern era.

https://www.netflix.com/dk-en/title/80244565
Another important implication of this study: similar to how geographic structure can affect GWAS studies in western countries, social structure and language will affect future GWASs in Indian population. One should consider these to avoid discovering chopstick genes.
A great and important work from @AritraBose90 and team. đź‘Źđź‘Ź Here is a media coverage of this study https://twitter.com/AritraBose90/status/1355247054138826756?s=20
You can follow @doctorveera.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled:
Those who think consciousness raising & movement building are disconnected, or even a distraction from electoral politics have not paid attention to the history of social change.In this thread, we
Read more
The 2020s will be known as the Remote Work decadeA few predictions of what is likely to emerge[ a thread ] Third Space: Office and Working from Home will
Read more
1/29: Have you ever had a concept explained to you that helps frame complex issues you’ve been wrestling with and opens your eyes to new possibilities? A concept that I
Read more
By continuing to use the site, you are consenting to the use of cookies as explained in our Cookie Policy to improve your experience.