A new study has found higher frequency of homozygous genotypes in South-Asian populations, most likely as a result of caste, endogamy, and consanguineous sexual unions.
Such a frequency could lead to higher risk of genetic disorders.
South-Indian and Pakistani subgroups were estimated to have a high degree of inbreeding.
The study found stark genetic differences between people from different regions of the subcontinent.
Humans typically have two copies of each gene.
When an individual has two copies of the same variant, it is called a homozygous genotype.