A large-scale genomic study featured in Cell Reports has successfully analyzed the remains of a 9,000-year-old individual from the Upper Mahanadi Basin. The data reveals a unique genetic lineage that diverged from the broader South Asian hunter-gatherer pool during the early Holocene. This population possessed specific adaptations for a riverine-forest lifestyle, including genetic markers for the rapid detoxification of various tropical plant secondary metabolites.
The study provides the first direct evidence of the genetic structure of the Mesolithic inhabitants of the Eastern Ghats fringe. By comparing this ancient genome with modern populations, researchers have traced the persistence of this 'Mahanadi signature' in several contemporary tribal groups, highlighting a deep-rooted genetic continuity that has survived for nearly ten millennia despite subsequent waves of migration.