Genetically distinct populations around the world

Over the past 50,000 years, humans have settled in nearly every corner of the globe. Due to geographical barriers, some populations remained isolated for thousands, even tens of thousands of years. Other populations became reclusive due to cultural or religious practices. As a result, human genetic diversity decreased after 50 millennia. Genetic diversity within a population can decrease during a “founder event”, when a population separates from the larger population, leading to a smaller gene pool in the separated group. In a 2022 study of 460 populations around the world, about half had evidence of a founding event, according to Live Science.

Parsis

Parsis are a Zoroastrian population that migrated from India to Persia in the 7th century. Traditional Parsis do not support intermarriage, which could lead to their separation.

Geneticists are especially interested in the longevity of the Parsis, with genetic variations that help them live beyond 90 years old, even though the rate of breast cancer in women is higher than average. A study published in 2021 on Meta Gene concluded that the practice of endogamy (marrying within the community) of the Parsis is likely the reason behind the above outstanding characteristics.

Sherpas

The Sherpa people of the Nepalese mountains have been genetically separate for centuries, partly due to the rugged terrain in which they live. This group of people moved from Tibet 400 – 600 years ago and are famous as experienced guides on Mount Everest. Although the Sherpas have many neighbors, a 2017 study in the journal BMC Genomics found that their genome has little evidence of gene flow from nearby Nepali populations.

Geneticists are especially interested in the Sherpa’s ability to thrive at high altitudes. A 2014 study in the journal Nature Communications found that it has something to do with their unique genome, which likely evolved over the past three millennia.

Papua New Guinea people

When modern humans arrived in New Guinea about 50,000 years ago, they met and mingled with the Denisovans, a group of human ancestors that originated in Asia and are now extinct. But after their initial meeting, they experienced genetic isolation for tens of millennia, even within the country itself.

A 2017 study in the journal Science showed that there is a clear division between the genetic variation of people living in the highlands and the lowlands. Other genomic research published in the journal Nature Communications in 2024 shows that Papua New Guinea inherited unique genetic variations from Denisovans, helping lowland residents resist epidemics and highland residents. survive at high altitudes.

Inuit people in Nunavik

The Arctic region in North America was the last area of ​​the world to be settled by humans, starting about 6,000 years ago. The Inuit people arrived in Nunavik, the northernmost land in the Canadian province of Quebec, about 7-9 centuries ago. 1990 study of 170 Inuit genomes in Nunavik Inuit mixed very little with outside populations, leading to some genetic variation

Specifically, their genes seem to reflect the ability to increase fat and protein, which are important for helping to withstand cold winter temperatures with scarce plant food sources. But the researchers also found that Inuit people in Nunavik had a higher than average risk of brain aneurysms due to the founder effect.

The Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha is located in the South Atlantic Ocean in the world’s most remote inhabited archipelago, today a British overseas territory and home to around 250 permanent residents. When first settled in 1816, the population numbered only 15 – 28 people, making Tristan an outstanding example of the founder effect.

A study published in the 1960s found that the Tristan population had a higher number of people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease that causes vision loss, than expected. Another 2019 study revealed an unusually high frequency of asthma in the population.