Haplotype analysis of the polymorphic 17 YSTR markers in Kerala nontribal populations.

The origin of the Kerala non tribal population has been a matter of contention for centuries. While some claim that Negritos were the first inhabitants, some historians suggest a Dravidian origin for all Keralites. The aim of our study has been to provide sufficient scientific evidence based on Y chromosome short tandem repeat (Y STR) analysis for tracing the paternal lineage and also to create a database of the Y STR haplotype of the male population for future forensic analysis.

Y-short tandem repeat haplotype and paternal lineage of the Ezhava population of Kerala, south India.

Aim: To analyze the haplotype of the Ezhava population of Kerala, south India, using 8 short tandem repeat (STR) loci on the Y chromosome and trace the paternal genetic lineage of the population.

Methods: Whole blood samples (n=104) were collected from unrelated healthy men of the Ezhava population over a period of one year from October 2009. Genomic DNA was extracted by salting out method.