Varanasi: A recent DNA study on Himalayan populations reveals the strongest genetic ties with Tibet and Siberia, while links to China are relatively weaker, said Rakesh Tamang, a Himalayan gene expert from the Calcutta University.Tamang highlights a significant find: the MYBPC3 gene, a major contributor to heart attacks in South Asia, is almost absent in Himalayan populations, translating to a lower risk of heart attacks linked to this gene.He was delivering a lecture on the second day of the ongoing international conference ICAB-2026 at Banaras Hindu University, where he presented the findings of his DNA study on the people of the Himalayan region. Tamang said the Himalayan region’s rich biodiversity is well-known, but human genetic diversity was largely unexplored till now. “More than 100 ethnic groups live in the Himalayas. Over the past 10 years, we collected more than 1,000 DNA samples from various regions of the Himalayas. Detailed genetic analysis of these samples was conducted through DNA sequencing. The genes of the Himalayan people are linked to those of the people of Tibet and Siberia,” he said.He said that the Himalayas are not only geographically diverse but also a genetic ‘melting pot’, where the genes of ancient migrants still survive today. He said Himalayan populations have a distinct genetic makeup when it comes to lactose persistence – the gene’s completely different from Europeans’, with Asian-specific variants dominating. This suggests dairy farming and animal husbandry evolved uniquely in the Himalayan groupsMore than 100 ethnic groups (such as Sherpa, Bhutia, Lepcha, Tamang, Rai, Kirat, Gaddi, Bhotia, etc.) live in the Himalayan region, where biodiversity is already well known (flora and fauna), but research on human genetic diversity was limited. Tamang said, “This study proves that the Himalayas are not only a treasure trove of biodiversity, but also an important centre of human migration and genetic history.”
