In a study published in Science Advances, researchers have sequenced the oldest human genome from the Brahmani River valley in Odisha, dating back 12,000 years. The analysis reveals a previously unknown 'ghost' lineage of Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers who possessed unique genetic adaptations for the safe metabolism of manganese, an element found in high concentrations in the local aquatic ecosystem and tubers.
The genomic data shows a rare variant in the SLC30A10 gene, which facilitates the efficient transport and excretion of manganese to prevent neurotoxicity. This suggests that these early South Asian populations were highly specialized to their specific geochemical environments. The discovery provides a critical missing link in the human migration map of the Indian peninsula, showing that early Holocene groups were not a monolith but were genetically tailored to diverse ecological niches.