DNA haplotypes and frameworks associated with the beta-globin gene in the Kachari population of Assam (India)

DNA haplotypes and frameworks associated with the beta-globin gene were determined in a Tibeto-Burman group, the Kachari, from Upper Assam, India, using restriction analysis at eight restriction sites. Of the total of 59 subjects, 26 were homozygous for HBB*A and 33 homozygous for HBB*E. Complete haplotype determination in 33 subjects revealed a conspicuous difference in haplotype distribution between HBB*A- and HBB*E-bearing chromosomes. The Southeast Asian HBB*E-associated haplotype -+- +- (27-2 in the present terminology) predominated on HBB*E chromosomes. The previously established beta-globin-associated frameworks 1, 2 and 3 were evenly distributed among the HBB*A chromosomes, whereas all HBB*E chromosomes had framework 2. These findings favor a common origin of the HBB*E gene in Southeast Asia and Assam.     

Some atypical and rare sickle cell gene haplotypes in populations of Andhra Pradesh, India.

We have investigated the clinical, hematological, and molecular genetic characteristics of sickle cell anemia patients from 6 populations of Andhra Pradesh, South India. Of 72 sickle cell chromosomes (HBB*S) 60 belong to characteristic Arab-Indian haplotypes, 6 to variant Arab-Indian haplotypes, 1 to a Bantu haplotype, 2 to a Cameroon haplotype, and 3 to rare haplotypes. This is the first report of a Bantu haplotype in an Indian population. Some information on haplotype characteristics of normal chromosomes (HBB*A) is also presented. The average hemoglobin level was 7.3 g% and mean fetal hemoglobin (HbF) level was 12.6%. The higher HbF levels corroborate earlier observations in sickle cell homozygotes from India. Clinical investigations have revealed splenomegaly and painful crises as the most common features in these patients.     

Predominance of the haemoglobin E gene in a Mongoloid population in Assam (India).

A high frequency of the haemoglobin E gene (HbbetaE) had been found in 1972 in the Ahom, a mongoloid population in Upper Assam. The present study confirms frequencies between 0.3 and 0.35 for this population in a larger sample from different areas. An even higher frequency near 0.5 was found in the Kachari of Upper Assam, a tribe of the tibetoburman Bodo group. HbbetaE frequencies in these groups are compared with the frequencies in the general Assamese population and the austroasiatic Khasi of Meghalaya.     

Genetic heterogeneity among three Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, India

We studied the distribution of ABO blood groups among three little known subtribes of the Adi tribe, namely, the Panggi, Komkar, and Padam, of the East and Upper Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Blood group O was the predominant group in the Komkar and Padam, whereas group A was the predominant group in the Panggi. Blood group AB was found to be the least frequent group in all three studied populations. The populations showed significant differences in blood groups A (43% in Panggi, 23% in Komkar, and 18% in Padam) and O (33% in Panggi, 54% in Komkar, and 61% in Padam). The chi-square test indicated significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting high heterogeneity among the tribes.     

Intertribal and temporal allele-frequency variation at the ABO locus among Tibeto-Burman-speaking Adi subtribes of Arunachal Pradesh, India

We studied the distribution of ABO blood group frequencies of the Galo and Mishing subtribes of the Adi tribal cluster in East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh, India, in order to investigate the intertribal and temporal allelic variation. Blood groups O and AB showed higher frequencies (28.4%, 27.4%) in the Galo, whereas group O (45%) was predominant in the Mishing. Allele r is significantly different in the Galo (44.6%) and Mishing (60.3%). The chi-square test indicated significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Adi tribes show high heterogeneity and indicate significant temporal variation in ABO genotype frequencies in the Galo, Mishing, and Padam, whereas the Panggi, a small isolated subtribe of Adi, show similar and stable frequencies.     

Pholidota pygmaea (Orchidaceae) — A new species from Arunachal Pradesh, India

Chowdhery, H.J. & Pal, G.D. 1995. Pholidota pygmaea (Orchidaceae) — A new species from Arunachal Pradesh, India. — Nord. J. Bot. 15: 411–413. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107–055X.
A new species of Pholidota, P. pygmaea from Arunachal Pradesh, India is described.     

Patterns of genetic diversity at the nine forensically approved STR loci in the Indian populations

Genetic diversity at the nine short tandem repeat (STR) loci, which are universally approved and widely used for forensic investigations, has been studied among nine Indian populations with diverse ethnic, linguistic, and geographic backgrounds. The nine STR loci were profiled on 902 individuals using fluorescent detection methods on an ABI377 System, with the aid of an Amp-F1 Profiler Plus Kit. The studied populations include two upper castes, Brahmin and Kayastha; a tribe, Garo, from West Bengal; a Hindu caste, Meitei, with historical links to Bengal Brahmins; a migrant group of Muslims; three tribal groups, Naga, Kuki and Hmar, from Manipur in northeast India; and a middle-ranking caste, Golla, who are seminomadic herders from Andhra Pradesh. Gene diversity analysis suggests that the average heterozygosity is uniformly high (>0.8) in the studied populations, with the coefficient of gene differentiation at 0.050 +/- 0.0054. Both neighbor-joining (NJ) and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) trees based on DA distances bring out distinct clusters that are consistent with ethnic, linguistic, and/or geographic backgrounds of the populations. The fit of the Harpending and Ward model of regression of average heterozygosity on the gene frequency centroid is found to be good, and the observed outliers are consistent with the population structure and history of the studied populations. Our study suggests that the nine STR loci, used so far mostly for forensic investigations, can be used fruitfully for microevolutionary studies as well, and for reconstructing the phylogenetic history of human populations, at least at the local level.     

Austro-Asiatic tribes of Northeast India provide hitherto missing genetic link between South and Southeast Asia

Northeast India, the only region which currently forms a land bridge between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, has been proposed as an important corridor for the initial peopling of East Asia. Given that the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family is considered to be the oldest and spoken by certain tribes in India, Northeast India and entire Southeast Asia, we expect that populations of this family from Northeast India should provide the signatures of genetic link between Indian and Southeast Asian populations. In order to test this hypothesis, we analyzed mtDNA and Y-Chromosome SNP and STR data of the eight groups of the Austro-Asiatic Khasi from Northeast India and the neighboring Garo and compared with that of other relevant Asian populations. The results suggest that the Austro-Asiatic Khasi tribes of Northeast India represent a genetic continuity between the populations of South and Southeast Asia, thereby advocating that northeast India could have been a major corridor for the movement of populations from India to East/Southeast Asia.     

A microsatellite study to disentangle the ambiguity of linguistic,geographic, ethnic and genetic influences on tribes of India to get a better clarity of the antiquity and peopling of South Asia

An understanding of the genetic affinity and the past history of the tribal populations of India requires the untangling of the confounding influences of language, ethnicity, and geography on the extant diverse tribes. The present study examines the genetic relationship of linguistically (Dravidian, Austro‐Asiatic, and Tibeto‐Burman) and ethnically (Australian and East Asian) diverse tribal populations (46) inhabiting different regions of the Indian subcontinent. For the purpose, we have utilized the published data on allele frequency of 15 autosomal STR loci of our study on six Adi sub‐tribes of Arunachal Pradesh and compared the same with the reported allele frequency data, for nine common autosomal STR loci, of 40 other tribes. Phylogenetic and principal component analyses exhibit geography based clustering of Tibeto‐Burman speakers and separation of the Mundari and Mon‐Khmer speaking Austro‐Asiatic populations. The combined analyses of all 46 populations show clustering of the groups belonging to same ethnicity and inhabiting contiguous geographic regions, irrespective of their different languages. These results help us to reconstruct and understand three plausible scenarios of the antiquity of Indian tribal populations: the Dravidian and Austro‐Asiatic (Mundari) tribes were possibly derived from common early settlers; the Tibeto‐Burman tribes possibly belonged to a different ancestry and the Mon‐Khmer speaking Austro‐Asiatic populations share a common ancestry with some of the Tibeto‐Burman speakers. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Ethnobiological notes on some tribes of Arunachal Pradesh,northeastern India

A total of 171 plant species used by the Nishis, the Hill M iris, the Sulungs, and the Apatanis of Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India; 12 animal species used by the Nishis were identified. Of the total plant species recorded 38% of the total were leafy vegetables and 28% were edible fruits. Others were used for food, liquor, medicine, household goods, traditional dresses, dyes, tattoos, fish and animal poisons, or for salt extraction. The Sulungs use starch obtained from the pith ofMetroxylon sagu as a staple food. The extensive use of wild plants and animals suggests that the tribes of northeastern India rely heavily on forest resources. The importance of conserving these in the light of rapid conversion of rainforests is emphasized.     

'Ltvo new species of Cheirostylis (Orchidaceae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India

Two new species of Cheirostylis, C. sessanica and C. munnacampensis are described from Arunachal Pradesh, India.     

Database management system for the control of malaria in Arunachal Pradesh, India

The Arunachal Pradesh state in India is epidemic for malaria, caused by P.vivax and P.falciparum. Despite the implementation of several control strategies, the outbreak of malaria in the state is mainly due to lack of proper information regarding the disease. Hence, we completed a database to help implement appropriate control strategy for the public health officials in Arunachal Pradesh. AVAILABILITY: www.envisiict.org.     

A new species of Sarcoglyphis (Orchidaceae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India

A new species of Sarcoglyphis, S. arunachalensis, from Arunachal Pradesh, India is described.     

Study of blood groups and haemoglobin variants among the Santal tribe in Midnapore District of West Bengal, India

Blood specimens of the Santals in Midnapore District of West Bengal, India were tested for the antigens A, B, C, D, E, c and e, when the incidence of B gene was found to be 26.8%. Another feature of the Santals was the high frequency (74.6%) of CDe chromosome with complete absence of cde. Trace of sickle-cell trait was also noticed among the Santals as is known to occur in some of the aboriginal tribes of the Nilgiri Hills, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Western India. HbS was the only haemoglobin variant detected among them.     

Measuring opportunity for natural selection: Adaptation among two linguistically cognate tribes inhabiting two eco-situations of North-East India

BACKGROUND:

Numerous literature on the migration of Mishings point out to the fact that the Mishing and the Minyong are two culturally and linguistically cognate tribes that co-existed in the same ecology in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh. The Mishing tribe after migration, now inhabits flood-prone areas of Brahmaputra valley of Assam.

AIM:

The study aims to measure the adaptation process of these two cognate tribes inhabiting two different ecologies at present: Hills and plains by calculating the index of selection intensity by Crow’s and Johnston and Kensinger’s formulae.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The reproductive histories of 77 Mishing mothers of completed fertility inhabiting a flood affected village of Assam and 74 Minyong mothers inhabiting a hilly village of Arunachal Pradesh are selected.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The Minyongs show higher average fertility than the Mishings. The proportion of embryonic death is higher, and child death is lower among the Mishings (0.1661; 0.1623) than the Minyongs (0.1319; 0.2238). The index of selection due to mortality component is contributing more toward the total index of selection in both the tribes.

CONCLUSION:

The contribution of mortality component is sizeable to the total selection like many other tribes of North-East India. Higher proportion of embryonic deaths among the Mishings infers that the causes are mostly biological whereas, the higher proportion of child deaths among the Minyongs infers that the causes are mostly socio-cultural.     

Knowledge and use of medicinal plants by local specialists in an region of Atlantic Forest in the state of Pernambuco (Northeastern Brazil)

This paper investigates the wealth of medicinal plants used by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Apatani have traditionally settled in seven villages in the Ziro valley of Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. The present study has resulted in the documentation of 158 medicinal plant species used by the Apatani group of villages. These medicinal plant species were distributed across 73 families and 124 genera. Asteraceae was the most dominant family (19 species, 11 genera) of medicinal plants, followed by Zingiberaceae, Solanaceae, Lamiaceae and Araceae. For curing ailments, the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (80%) than the belowground plant parts in the Apatani group of villages. Of the aboveground plant parts, leaf was used in the majority of cases (56 species), followed by fruit. Different belowground plant forms such as root, tuber, rhizome, bulb and pseudo-bulb were used by Apatani as a medicine. About 52 types of ailments were cured by using these 158 medicinal plant species. The results of this study are further discussed in the changing socio-economic contexts.     

A Voucher Specimen for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Macaca munzala</Emphasis>: Interspecific Affinities,Evolution, and Conservation of a Newly Discovered Primate

Sinha, A., Datta, A., Madhusudan, M. D., & Mishra, C. (2005. Macaca munzala: A new species from western Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. International Journal of Primatology, 26, 977–989) discovered Arunachal macaques (Macaca munzala), a species new to science, in the eastern Himalaya of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. They depicted the holotype and paratypes of the species in photographs, and a specimen of the species had been unavailable for preservation and examination. In March 2005, we obtained an entire specimen of an adult male Macaca munzala, which we propose as a voucher specimen for the species. We provide detailed morphological and anatomical measurements of the specimen and examine its affinities with other macaques. Macaca munzala appears to be unique among macaques in craniodental size and structure, baculum, and aspects of caudal structure, while exhibiting affinities with the other members of the sinica-group to which it belongs. We summarize our insights on the origins and phylogeny of Macaca munzala. Finally, we review the current conservation status of the macaques, which are threatened by extensive hunting in the only 2 districts of Arunachal Pradesh where they are documented to occur.     

Cheirostylis gunnarii (Orchidaceae) — a new orchid from Arunachal Pradesh, India

Cheirostylis gunnarii (Orchidaceae) is described from Arunachal Pradesh, India as a new species. This is closely allied to C. moniliformis but differs in epiphytic habit, short scape, pubescent flowers and flat broader stylids. The species is named in honour of Gunnar Seidenfaden, Denmark.     

A new species of fossorial natricid snakes of the genus Trachischium Günther, 1858 (Serpentes: Natricidae) from the Himalayas of northeastern India

A new species of natricid snakes, Trachischium apteii sp. nov. is described from the northeastern Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. The new species differs from its congeners in the following suite of characters: dorsal scales in 15:15:15 rows, SVL 293–299 mm, higher ventral count 143–150, very faint dorsal longitudinal lines, absence of yellow patch on the neck and the belly being pale yellow. Preliminary discussion on the phylogenetic position of the members of the genus Trachischium is presented. This discovery of a new snake species advocates the need for dedicated surveys to document biodiversity across Arunachal Pradesh and the neighbouring States of northeastern India.     

Distribution of A1A2BO and Rho (D) blood groups in tribal populations of Andhra Pradesh, South India.

The paper reports the distribution of A1A2BO and Rho (D) blood groups among five tribal populations, Koya Dora, Raj Gond, Naikpod, Pardhan and Lambadi from three districts of Andhra Pradesh, South India. Blood samples from a total of 1090 unrelated individuals were tested. Koya Doras were, however, sampled from five distant localities to find out intratribal variation, if any. In A1A2BO blood group system the combined frequencies of "P1" and "P2" among the five Koya Groups always exceeded the frequency of "q", a characteristic feature of many tribal populations of Andhra Pradesh. However, among Raj Gond, Naikpod, Pardhan and Lambadi tribes the frequency of "q" is higher than "p" with the maximum in Pardhans. The frequency of "r" is always higher than the combined frequencies of "p1" and "p2" except in Raj Gonds. The higher frequency of "q" over "p" among Naikpod, Pardhan and Lambadi tribes is indicative of a tendency towards the distribution pattern found in North India. A few Rh negative persons were detected only in Koya Dora, Raj Gond and Lambadis indicating that the allele r (cde) is present in these populations, although in a low frequency.