Researchers conducting a paleogenomic survey along the eastern coast of India have discovered a previously unknown genetic lineage in Mesolithic remains from the Godavari Delta. The study, published in Science, reveals that this population carried unique mitochondrial DNA markers distinct from both inland hunter-gatherers and later agriculturalists.
Isotopic analysis of the teeth suggests a diet almost exclusively dependent on deep-sea fish species, implying the use of advanced seafaring vessels capable of navigating far beyond the shoreline. This 'lost' coastal lineage provides the first genetic evidence for a specialized maritime culture in South Asia during the early Holocene.