A breakthrough genomic analysis of human remains found in the Mahendragiri hills of Odisha, dated to approximately 7,500 years ago, has uncovered the earliest known genetic markers for resistance to Leptospirosis. The research, published in Nature Genetics Research, suggests that ancient hunter-gatherer populations in the Eastern Ghats developed specialized immune responses to waterborne bacterial pathogens long before the onset of large-scale sedentary agriculture in the region.
By comparing the ancient DNA with modern clinical datasets, the team identified specific mutations in the TLR (Toll-like receptor) gene cluster that appear to have been under intense positive selection. This finding provides critical insights into how early Holocene populations in the Indian peninsula adapted to the high-humidity, monsoon-driven environments of the tropical forest, which were hotbeds for zoonotic diseases.