Genetic history of South Asia

The genetic history of South Asia refers to the ways that different groups of people have intermingled their genes over time. In South Asia, there have been many different peoples and cultures that have existed over the centuries. Some of these groups have traveled throughout the region and left behind their DNA, which is what geneticists use to learn about the history of a region. Specifically, geneticists look at DNA markers, which are like tiny tags on our chromosomes, that help to trace the migrations of different peoples. By looking at the markers of different people in South Asia, we can learn how different groups interacted, populated, and moved across the region. For example, sometimes we can use genetics to trace ancestral movements since ancient times, or to identify the presence of certain diseases that were present in the population long before modern medicine. In this way, genetics gives us a powerful window into South Asia's past.