Hyderabad: A new genetic study led by scientists from the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and Mangalore University has uncovered the complex maternal ancestry of Konkani-speaking communities along India’s western coast, revealing a genetic history shaped by ancient migrations, geography and centuries of social and cultural interactions.
Published in the journal Heredity, the study was led by Dr K. Thangaraj of CCMB and Prof. M.S. Mustak of Mangalore University. Researchers analysed maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 295 Konkani individuals to investigate the population’s maternal origins and diversity.
The Konkan region stretches from Daman in the north to the Gangavalli river near Karwar in the south. Despite sharing a language, its communities exhibit considerable differences in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, reflecting a diverse ethnolinguistic and cultural history.
Konkani communities are broadly classified into Saraswata and non-Saraswata groups, based partly on oral traditions linking the former to the banks of the ancient Saraswati river.
The findings indicate that the overall maternal ancestry of Konkani speakers is predominantly local. However, Saraswata groups exhibit relatively stronger genetic affinities with West Eurasian and Steppe-associated maternal lineages than non-Saraswata communities. The presence of these lineages suggests that Bronze Age migrations into South Asia involved women as well as men, challenging explanations that attribute such movements exclusively to male-mediated ancestry.
To place the findings in a wider Eurasian context, the researchers compared the Konkani genetic data with those of more than 5,000 individuals from across Eurasia. The analysis revealed a combination of deep-rooted South Asian and West Eurasian maternal lineages.
Prof. Mustak said a substantial component of maternal diversity could be traced to ancient source populations, possibly associated with the Near East around the Last Glacial Maximum, approximately 26,500 to 19,000 years ago. Subsequent population movements during the post-glacial recovery and Holocene periods contributed to the region’s genetic diversity.
The study also identified evidence of historical founder effects and genetic drift associated with long-term endogamy in occupational communities such as the Kharvi and Kudubi. In contrast, Gauda Saraswata Brahmins and Roman Catholic communities displayed higher maternal genetic diversity than several other Konkani groups.
Dr Jaison Sequeira, the study’s first author, said complete mitochondrial genome analysis helped uncover the multiple layers of ancestry that both unite and distinguish Konkani communities.
Dr Thangaraj said the findings highlighted the complexity of ancient migrations, involving contributions from both maternal and paternal lineages. He added that the research helped bridge an important gap in understanding the population history of South Asia.
CSIR-CCMB Director Dr Vinay Kumar Nandicoori said the findings represented an important contribution to documenting the ethnolinguistic history of India’s western coast.
Other authors include Prof. George van Driem, a linguist from the University of Bern, and Dr Lomous Kumar of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow.
