Integrating genetic and oral histories of Southwest Indian populations

Abstract Several Indian populations have genetic contributions from ancient hunter-gatherer, Iranian, and Eurasian Steppe lineages. However, sparse sampling across finer-scale regions impedes our understanding of the emergence of present-day population structure. Moreover, oral histories maintained by many Indian populations are only partially documented. To address these gaps and investigate the interplay between oral and genetic histories, we analyzed whole-genome sequences from 158 Southwest Indian individuals identifying as Bunt, Kodava, Nair, and Kapla. From community interviews and historical literature, we found that all four populations have references to non-Indian origins. We observed that while the Kapla are genetically differentiated from the Bunt, Kodava, and Nair, all four populations are genetically most similar to other Indian populations. Our results demonstrate that oral and genetic histories may not always provide consistent accounts of population origins and suggest community-engaged, multi-disciplinary investigations to understand their relationship.