|
1
|
Welikala A, Desai S, Pratap Singh P, Fernando A, Thangaraj K, van Driem G, Adikari G, Tennekoon K, Chaubey G, Ranasinghe R. The genetic identity of the Vedda: A language isolate of South Asia. Mitochondrion 2024; 76:101884. [PMID: 38626841 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2024.101884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Linguistic data from South Asia identified several language isolates in the subcontinent. The Vedda, an indigenous population of Sri Lanka, are the least studied amongst them. Therefore, to understand the initial peopling of Sri Lanka and the genetic affinity of the Vedda with other populations in Eurasia, we extensively studied the high-resolution autosomal and mitogenomes from the Vedda population of Sri Lanka. Our autosomal analyses suggest a close genetic link of Vedda with the tribal populations of India despite no evidence of close linguistic affinity, thus suggesting a deep genetic link of the Vedda with these populations. The mitogenomic analysis supports this association by pointing to an ancient link with Indian populations. We suggest that the Vedda population is a genetically drifted group with limited gene flow from neighbouring Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil populations. Interestingly, the genetic ancestry sharing of Vedda neglects the isolation-by-distance model. Collectively, the demography of Sri Lanka is unique, where Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamil populations excessively admixed, whilst Vedda largely preserved their isolation and deep genetic association with India.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anjana Welikala
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, No. 90, Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka; Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Shailesh Desai
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Prajjval Pratap Singh
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Amali Fernando
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, No. 90, Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka
| | - Kumarasamy Thangaraj
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India
| | - George van Driem
- Institut für Sprachwissenschaft, Universität Bern, Länggassstrasse 49, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Gamini Adikari
- Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, 407, Bauddhalika Mawatha, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka
| | - Kamani Tennekoon
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, No. 90, Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka
| | - Gyaneshwer Chaubey
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.
| | - Ruwandi Ranasinghe
- Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, No. 90, Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka.
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Goonawardhana NDS, Jayasekara GSKW, Elanahai V, Udagama PV, Fernandopulle ND. Population genetic data for ten miniSTR loci in the Sri Lankan population. Int J Legal Med 2016; 131:969-970. [PMID: 27957605 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-016-1512-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Allele frequencies and forensically important parameters of ten autosomal miniSTR loci, D1S1677, D2S1776, D10S1248, D11S4463, D12SATA, D14S1434, D17S974, D18S853, D20S482, and D22S1045, were obtained for 278 unrelated adults from the Sri Lankan population. The combined power of discrimination and probability of exclusion was found to be 0.999999999621539 and 0.9979620, respectively. No significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed except for D20S482 which conformed to HW expectations only after the application of a Bonferroni correction. The study suggests the potential use of these miniSTRs as a supplement or as a stand-alone STR marker system for the analysis of highly degraded evidence in Sri Lanka.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N D S Goonawardhana
- Genetech Molecular Diagnostics, 54, Kithulwatte Road, Colombo, 08, Sri Lanka. .,Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Colombo, 03, Sri Lanka.
| | - G S K W Jayasekara
- Genetech Molecular Diagnostics, 54, Kithulwatte Road, Colombo, 08, Sri Lanka
| | - V Elanahai
- Genetech Molecular Diagnostics, 54, Kithulwatte Road, Colombo, 08, Sri Lanka
| | - P V Udagama
- Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Colombo, 03, Sri Lanka
| | - N D Fernandopulle
- Genetech Molecular Diagnostics, 54, Kithulwatte Road, Colombo, 08, Sri Lanka
| |
Collapse
|