Biosciences

Retraction Note to: Larvicidal effects of GC-MS fractions from leaf extracts of Cassia uniflora Mill non Spreng The Editor and Publisher are retracting the article “Larvicidal effects of GC-MS fractions from leaf extracts of Cassia uniflora Mill non Spreng”.

On Development of typological classification and its relationship to microdifferentiation in ethnic India By KC Malhotra and TS Vasulu

On Methodological issues in the Indo-European debate By Michel Danino

On Historic migration to South Asia in the last two millennia: A case of Jews and Parsi populations By Ajai Kumar Pathak, et al .

Peopling of India: Ancient DNA perspectives Abstract To reconstruct and explain patterns of genetic diversity of modern humans, understanding their past and present genetic profile is crucial. While genomes of contemporary people can provide information about present day population structure, analysis of ancient genomes may provide unprecedented insights about the past demographic events that have shaped the contemporary gene pool. Population genetics has recently witnessed an explosion in studies on ancient human population histories, primarily from Europe and America. South Asia has no representation in the ancient genomics literature, despite the wealth of archaeological richness in the form of human skeletal remains that exist in collections all over the country. Representing one-fifth of present day humanity calls for understanding the demographic history of south Asia not merely as a prerequisite but as an urgent need to understand its genetic variations on a global scale. Although the overall picture is taking form, new archaeological and genetic information from the region has started to reveal a more complex scenario of ancient human migrations and admixtures than was ever known before. In this article, we discuss a meaningful insight on the current status of ancient DNA (aDNA) research in India. We have also summarized a few but important aDNA studies, which have been successfully carried out in India. Furthermore, we have highlighted the potential opportunity of aDNA research in the Indian subcontinent.

On Peopling of India: Ancient DNA perspectives By K Thangaraj and Niraj Rai

Reconstruction of ancestral footfalls in South Asia using genomic data Abstract Due to its unique geographical position, juxtaposed in the middle of south-central Asia, east Asia and Southeast Asia, the South Asian Region (SAS) has repeatedly come into contact with people from adjacent regions throughout history and prehistory. The antiquity of the populations and the intricate history of admixture have shaped SAS as one of the most genetically diverse regions in the world. In this article we review our current understanding of the peopling and populations structure of SAS. We do not attempt to be exhaustive but summarize the salient conclusions that have been reached using genetic data and evaluate their robustness. We also identify the unanswered questions and suggest possible approaches that may lead to their answers.

On Reconstruction of ancestral footfalls in South Asia using genomic data By Saikat Chakraborty and Analabha Basu

Historic migration to South Asia in the last two millennia: A case of Jewish and Parsi populations Abstract The South Asian populations have a mosaic of ancestries likely due to the interactions of long-term populations of the landmass and those of East and West Eurasia. Apart from prehistoric dispersals, there are some known population movements to India. In this study, we focussed on the migration of Jewish and Parsi populations on temporal and spatial scales. The existence of Jewish and Parsi communities in India are recorded since ancient times. However, due to the lack of high-resolution genetic data, their origin and affiliation with other Indian and non-Indian populations remains shrouded in legends. Earlier genetic studies on populations of Indian Jews have found evidence for a minor shared ancestry of Indian Jews with Middle Eastern (Jews) populations, whereas for Parsis, the Iranian link was proposed. Recently, in our high-resolution study, we were able to quantify the admixture dynamics of these groups, which has suggested a male-biased admixture. Here, we added the newly available ancient samples and revisited the interplay of genes and cultures. Thus, in this study we reconstructed a broad genetic profile of Indian Jews and Parsis to paint a fine-grained picture of these ethnic groups.

On Contested domains of biological similarities and sociocultural diversity By Shalina Mehta