Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

“Like Sugar in Milk”: Reconstructing the genetic history of the Parsi population

Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Qasim Ayub, Niraj Rai, Satya Prakash, Veena Mushrif-Tripathy, Massimo Mezzavilla, Ajai Kumar Pathak, Rakesh Tamang, Sadaf Firasat, Maere Reidla, Monika Karmin, Deepa Selvi-Rani, Alla G. Reddy, Jüri Parik, Ene Metspalu, Siiri Rootsi, Kurush Dalal, Shagufta Khaliq, Syed Qasim Mehdi, Lalji Singh, Mait Metspalu, Toomas Kivisild, Chris Tyler-Smith, Richard Villems, Kumarasamy Thangaraj
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/128777
Gyaneshwer Chaubey
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Qasim Ayub
2The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Niraj Rai
3CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Satya Prakash
3CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Veena Mushrif-Tripathy
4Department of Archaeology, Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, 411006, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Massimo Mezzavilla
2The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ajai Kumar Pathak
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
5Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Rakesh Tamang
6Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, 700073, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Sadaf Firasat
7Centre for Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, 74200, Pakistan.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Maere Reidla
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
5Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Monika Karmin
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
5Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
8Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Deepa Selvi-Rani
3CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Alla G. Reddy
3CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jüri Parik
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
5Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ene Metspalu
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
5Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Siiri Rootsi
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kurush Dalal
9Centre for Archaeology (CfA), Centre for Extra Mural Studies (CEMS) University of Mumbai (Kalina Campus) Vidyanagri, Santacruz E Mumbai 400098, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Shagufta Khaliq
10Department of Human Genetics & Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Syed Qasim Mehdi
7Centre for Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, 74200, Pakistan.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Lalji Singh
11Genome Foundations Hyderabad, 500076, India
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mait Metspalu
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
5Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Toomas Kivisild
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
12Division of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3QG, UK.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Chris Tyler-Smith
2The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Richard Villems
1Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonian Biocentre, Riia23b, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
5Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51010, Estonia.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kumarasamy Thangaraj
3CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, 500007, India.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Background The Parsis, one of the smallest religious community in the world, reside in South Asia. Previous genetic studies on them, although based on low resolution markers, reported both Iranian and Indian ancestries. To understand the population structure and demographic history of this group in more detail, we analyzed Indian and Pakistani Parsi populations using high-resolution autosomal and uniparental (Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA) markers. Additionally, we also assayed 108 mitochondrial DNA markers among 21 ancient Parsi DNA samples excavated from Sanjan, in present day Gujarat, the place of their original settlement in India.

Results Our extensive analyses indicated that among present-day populations, the Parsis are genetically closest to Middle Eastern (Iranian and the Caucasus) populations rather than their South Asian neighbors. They also share the highest number of haplotypes with present-day Iranians and we estimate that the admixture of the Parsis with Indian populations occurred ∼1,200 years ago. Enriched homozygosity in the Parsi reflects their recent isolation and inbreeding. We also observed 48% South-Asian-specific mitochondrial lineages among the ancient samples, which might have resulted from the assimilation of local females during the initial settlement.

Conclusions We show that the Parsis are genetically closest to the Neolithic Iranians, followed by present-day Middle Eastern populations rather than those in South Asia and provide evidence of sex-specific admixture from South Asians to the Parsis. Our results are consistent with the historically-recorded migration of the Parsi populations to South Asia in the 7thcentury and in agreement with their assimilation into the Indian sub-continent’s population and cultural milieu “like sugar in milk”. Moreover, in a wider context our results suggest a major demographic transition in West Asia due to Islamic-conquest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted April 19, 2017.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
“Like Sugar in Milk”: Reconstructing the genetic history of the Parsi population
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
“Like Sugar in Milk”: Reconstructing the genetic history of the Parsi population
Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Qasim Ayub, Niraj Rai, Satya Prakash, Veena Mushrif-Tripathy, Massimo Mezzavilla, Ajai Kumar Pathak, Rakesh Tamang, Sadaf Firasat, Maere Reidla, Monika Karmin, Deepa Selvi-Rani, Alla G. Reddy, Jüri Parik, Ene Metspalu, Siiri Rootsi, Kurush Dalal, Shagufta Khaliq, Syed Qasim Mehdi, Lalji Singh, Mait Metspalu, Toomas Kivisild, Chris Tyler-Smith, Richard Villems, Kumarasamy Thangaraj
bioRxiv 128777; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/128777
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
“Like Sugar in Milk”: Reconstructing the genetic history of the Parsi population
Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Qasim Ayub, Niraj Rai, Satya Prakash, Veena Mushrif-Tripathy, Massimo Mezzavilla, Ajai Kumar Pathak, Rakesh Tamang, Sadaf Firasat, Maere Reidla, Monika Karmin, Deepa Selvi-Rani, Alla G. Reddy, Jüri Parik, Ene Metspalu, Siiri Rootsi, Kurush Dalal, Shagufta Khaliq, Syed Qasim Mehdi, Lalji Singh, Mait Metspalu, Toomas Kivisild, Chris Tyler-Smith, Richard Villems, Kumarasamy Thangaraj
bioRxiv 128777; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/128777

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Evolutionary Biology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (2533)
  • Biochemistry (4977)
  • Bioengineering (3486)
  • Bioinformatics (15232)
  • Biophysics (6910)
  • Cancer Biology (5395)
  • Cell Biology (7753)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (4539)
  • Ecology (7159)
  • Epidemiology (2059)
  • Evolutionary Biology (10234)
  • Genetics (7517)
  • Genomics (9794)
  • Immunology (4863)
  • Microbiology (13234)
  • Molecular Biology (5144)
  • Neuroscience (29465)
  • Paleontology (203)
  • Pathology (838)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (1466)
  • Physiology (2142)
  • Plant Biology (4756)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1013)
  • Synthetic Biology (1338)
  • Systems Biology (4014)
  • Zoology (768)