Gene diversity in Indian populations.

Gene frequency data of ten protein and enzyme loci in seven populations of India were collected from the literature. The gene differentiation among seven populations relative to total population was only 0.6%, indicating that the genic variation between populations was small compared to that within them. Using 29 common protein loci, the genetic distances between Indians and three major races of man, Caucasoids, Mongoloids, and Negroids were also determined. Indians are closer to Mongoloids than to Caucasoids or Negroids as indicated by the phylogenetic tree.