POPULATION-STRUCTURE AND GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION AMONG 16 TRIBAL POPULATIONS OF CENTRAL INDIA

Genetic polymorphisms for six blood groups, three red cell enzymes, th ree serum proteins, and hemoglobin were examined in sixteen central In dian tribal populations. Nine of the tribes belonged to Orissa, five t o Madhya Pradesh, and two to Maharashtra, Eleven tribes spoke the Drav idian language, three Indo-Ayran, and two the language of the Austro-A siatic families, The population structure of these tribal populations was analyzed at the inter- and intrastate and linguistic levels, using data for 13 genetic systems (38 alleles or haplotypes). Nine of the 1 3 loci showed significant heterogeneity in the 16 tribes, and the patt ern of heterogeneity was also discernible in the different states and in the Dravidian-speaking tribes, As expected, the extent of genetic d ifferentiation or gene diversity was the highest so far reported from central India. The mean F-IS and H-S for each locus in the different s tate, linguistic, and total tribal groups were consistently higher tha n the F-ST and G(ST) values, respectively, showing that the genetic st ructure of each tribe is highly influenced by inbreeding. In a genetic affinity analysis by genetic distance the Indo-Aryan and Austro-Asiat ic language groups showed little affinity with each other, although th ere was some tendency toward geographic affinity, The present analysis indicates that, in addition to genetic drift, gene flow, and selectio n, the genetic structure of the populations of central India is also h ighly influenced by sociocultural adaptation and inbreeding.