11% of romanian population are horse-trading gypsies. That's a phenomenal identifiably indian presence right in the heart of europe (balkan area). The Jewish Population of Romania is only 5%, even though Jewish settlement precedes that of the gypsies by half a millenium (arguably). I think this strongly indicates that indian settlers were enterprising enough in whichever domain happened to fall upon them.
There are records for a group called SINDOI centered around the Black Sea and decribed explicitly as an "Indian people" by the greek historians (the so-called "Pontic Indo-Aryans"). Amazingly, one of the dominant gypsy tribes is named SINTI. Both came from Sindh/Sindhu area, their migrations forming a veritable continuum across millenia.
The Gypsies are genetically identical to Indians. Except they lack M17 (R1a1):
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_(people)
Studies of Bulgarian, Baltic and Vlax Roma genetics suggest that about 50% of observed Y chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA belong to haplogroup H and female haplogroup M, respectively; both of which are widespread across South and Central Asia. <b>The male haplogroup R1a1 is rare amongst the Roma but accounts for 50% of male Y chromosome in NW India and Pakistan.</b> The remaining genes of the Roma studied originate from Middle East or Europe. (Am. J. Hum. Genet. 69:1314â1331, 2001; "Origins and Divergence of the Roma (Gypsies)" and European Journal of Human Genetics (2001) 9, 97 - 104; "Patterns of inter- and intra-group genetic diversity in the Vlax Roma as revealed by Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA lineages".)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This would suggest that R1a1 was selected out by genetic drift. for genetic drift to operate, the founder population must have been small enough and tight-knit enough. This founder group, small and inconsequential by indian standards, was indeed a phenomenal event for the indegene euros; gypsies now form 11% of the population right in the balkan heartland!!! And the jews who had arrived earlier, from closerby, and in greater numbers form only 5%.
Actually, this major european lineage (50% local admixture) was descended from an identifiable small caste in India:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Am. J. Hum. Genet. 69:1314â1331, 2001
Origins and Divergence of the Roma (Gypsies)
...In this study, we examine the genetic structure of 14 well-defined Romani populations. Y-chromosome and mtDNA markers of different mutability were analyzed in a total of 275 individuals. ...Asian Y-chromosome haplogroup VI-68, defined by a mutation at the M82 locus, was present in all 14 populations and accounted for 44.8% of Romani Y chromosomes. Asian mtDNA-haplogroup M was also identified in all Romani populations and accounted for 26.5% of female lineages in the sample. <b>Limited diversity within these two haplogroups,</b> measured by the variation at eight short-tandem-repeat loci for the Y chromosome, and sequencing of the HVS1 for the mtDNA <b>are consistent with a small group of founders splitting from a single ethnic population in the Indian subcontinent.</b> Principal-components analysis and analysis of molecular variance indicate that genetic structure in extant endogamous Romani populations has been shaped by genetic drift and differential admixture and correlates with the migrational history of the Roma in Europe. By contrast, social organization and professional group divisions appear to be the product of a more recent restitution of the caste system of India.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There are records for a group called SINDOI centered around the Black Sea and decribed explicitly as an "Indian people" by the greek historians (the so-called "Pontic Indo-Aryans"). Amazingly, one of the dominant gypsy tribes is named SINTI. Both came from Sindh/Sindhu area, their migrations forming a veritable continuum across millenia.
The Gypsies are genetically identical to Indians. Except they lack M17 (R1a1):
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_(people)
Studies of Bulgarian, Baltic and Vlax Roma genetics suggest that about 50% of observed Y chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA belong to haplogroup H and female haplogroup M, respectively; both of which are widespread across South and Central Asia. <b>The male haplogroup R1a1 is rare amongst the Roma but accounts for 50% of male Y chromosome in NW India and Pakistan.</b> The remaining genes of the Roma studied originate from Middle East or Europe. (Am. J. Hum. Genet. 69:1314â1331, 2001; "Origins and Divergence of the Roma (Gypsies)" and European Journal of Human Genetics (2001) 9, 97 - 104; "Patterns of inter- and intra-group genetic diversity in the Vlax Roma as revealed by Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA lineages".)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This would suggest that R1a1 was selected out by genetic drift. for genetic drift to operate, the founder population must have been small enough and tight-knit enough. This founder group, small and inconsequential by indian standards, was indeed a phenomenal event for the indegene euros; gypsies now form 11% of the population right in the balkan heartland!!! And the jews who had arrived earlier, from closerby, and in greater numbers form only 5%.
Actually, this major european lineage (50% local admixture) was descended from an identifiable small caste in India:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Am. J. Hum. Genet. 69:1314â1331, 2001
Origins and Divergence of the Roma (Gypsies)
...In this study, we examine the genetic structure of 14 well-defined Romani populations. Y-chromosome and mtDNA markers of different mutability were analyzed in a total of 275 individuals. ...Asian Y-chromosome haplogroup VI-68, defined by a mutation at the M82 locus, was present in all 14 populations and accounted for 44.8% of Romani Y chromosomes. Asian mtDNA-haplogroup M was also identified in all Romani populations and accounted for 26.5% of female lineages in the sample. <b>Limited diversity within these two haplogroups,</b> measured by the variation at eight short-tandem-repeat loci for the Y chromosome, and sequencing of the HVS1 for the mtDNA <b>are consistent with a small group of founders splitting from a single ethnic population in the Indian subcontinent.</b> Principal-components analysis and analysis of molecular variance indicate that genetic structure in extant endogamous Romani populations has been shaped by genetic drift and differential admixture and correlates with the migrational history of the Roma in Europe. By contrast, social organization and professional group divisions appear to be the product of a more recent restitution of the caste system of India.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->