Maternal genetic origin of Chao Lay coastal maritime populations from Thailand.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Chao Lay, also known as sea nomads, include the Austronesian-speaking Moken, Moklen, and Urak Lawoi, who traditionally inhabit the coastal regions and islands of the Andaman Sea in southern Thailand. Their maritime lifestyle has attracted significant interest in their genetic origins and relationships with other sea nomad groups in Island Southeast Asia (ISEA); however, comprehensive genetic data on these communities remain scarce. Here, we generated complete mitochondrial genome sequences from Moken and Moklen groups, along with the Tai-Kadai-speaking southern Thai population and additional Austroasiatic-speaking Maniq samples (hunter-gatherer) from southern Thailand.

Results

Our findings indicate that the Chao Lay display lower genetic diversity compared to

SUBMITTER: Kutanan W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12121263 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature