A massive paleogenomic study led by the Center for Ancient DNA has successfully sequenced the genomes of remains found in the Brahmaputra Valley dating to 3000 BCE. The findings, published in Cell Reports, identify a previously unknown 'ghost lineage' that served as a genetic bridge between Neolithic South Asian farmers and early Southeast Asian high-altitude foragers.
The research suggests that the Brahmaputra corridor was a hub of genetic and cultural exchange much earlier than previously thought. This population possessed unique alleles associated with adaptation to humid, high-altitude environments and provides the first clear genetic evidence of the migration routes that facilitated the spread of early Austroasiatic languages into the Indian subcontinent.