MTDNA PROVIDES THE FIRST KNOWN MARKER DISTINGUISHING PROTO-INDIANS FROM THE OTHER CAUCASOIDS - IT PROBABLY PREDATES THE DIVERSIFICATION BETWEEN INDIANS AND ORIENTALS

The concomitant presence of the two sites Ddel at 10,394 and Alul at 1 0,397 has been considered an East-Asian marker of ancient origin (it w as also observed in Australians, Melanesians and Native Americans). Un expectedly, it was found in more than 50% of Indians (133 Hindus and 3 0 Tribals) who had shown Caucasoid characteristics not only at nuclear DNA but also at mtDNA level. It can therefore no longer be considered an exclusively East-Asian mtDNA feature. The analysis of more than 20 0 Caucasoids, mainly from the Mediterranean basin, showed that it is o nly sporadically present in these people. Thus it represents the first known marker which distinguishes Indians from the other Caucasoids. T he lack of this marker in Indian mtDNA molecules carrying Caucasoid ch aracteristics suggests that it predates the invasion of India by speak ers of an Indo-European language, and, if it is valid to extrapolate f rom Near Eastern data, the arrival in India of the farmers who spread the Dravidian language. If this polymorphism had a common origin in bo th Orientals and Indians, it should also predate the diversification b etween ancient Indians and Mongoloids.