Y-chromosomal insights into the genetic impact of the caste system in India
Résumé
The caste system has persisted in Indian Hindu society for around 3,500 years. Like the Y chromosome, caste is deWned at birth, and males cannot change their caste. In order to investigate the genetic consequences of this system, we have analysed malelineage variation in a sample of 227 Indian men of known caste, 141 from the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh and 86 from the rest of India. We typed 131 Ychromosomal binary markers and 16 microsatellites. We Wnd striking evidence for male substructure: in particular, Brahmins and Kshatriyas (but not other castes) from Jaunpur each show low diversity and the predominance of a single distinct cluster of haplotypes. These Wndings conWrm the genetic isolation and drift within the Jaunpur upper castes, which are likely to result from founder eVects and social factors. In the other castes, there may be either larger eVective population sizes, or less strict isolation, or both.
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