A breakthrough paleogenomic study published in Nature Communications has identified a unique genetic signature in 6,000-year-old human remains excavated from the Wainganga River Basin in Central India. The research reveals the earliest known genetic adaptation to neurotoxic alkaloids found in endemic forest flora, suggesting that Neolithic foragers in this region had developed specialized hepatic enzymes to safely consume otherwise lethal plant species.
The study, conducted by a consortium of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science and the Max Planck Institute, utilized deep-coverage shotgun sequencing on skeletal remains from three distinct sites. The findings highlight a significant positive selection in the CYP2D6 gene cluster, which is critical for the detoxification of plant-based alkaloids. This evolutionary trait likely provided a competitive advantage, allowing these populations to exploit a wider range of nutritional resources in the dense tropical deciduous forests of the Vidarbha region.