Natural selection and adaptive traits in the Maniq, a nomadic hunter-gatherer society from Mainland Southeast Asia.

ABSTRACT: Asia is home to diverse hunter-gatherer populations characterized by significant morphological, anthropological, cultural, and linguistic diversity. Despite their importance in understanding ancestral human subsistence, little is known about the essential genetic adaptations of these groups. This study investigates the evolutionary pressures shaping the genome of the Maniq population, a nomadic hunter-gatherer group inhabiting the rainforests of southern Thailand. Using genome-wide approaches, including iHS, xp-EHH, PBE, and beta statistics, we identified signatures of positive and balancing selection. Genes under positive selection were enriched in pathways related to immunity, metabolic regulation, structural adaptation, cardiovascular performance, and neuromodulatory traits. Several gen

SUBMITTER: Herzog T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11808089 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature