South Asian hunter-gatherer map
South Asian hunter-gatherers (Jarawa proxy) · Deep South Asian forager ancestry (modern proxy)
How to read these maps: pale yellow means little or none of the selected ancestry, orange a medium share and deep red the highest values. Each dot is the average of a modern population: hover or tap it to see its numbers. Areas with no samples nearby stay blank.
South Asian hunter-gatherers (Jarawa proxy)
Deep South Asian forager ancestry (modern proxy)
Faded dots are populations the model fits less well: read their values with care. Click the map to zoom with your mouse wheel.
Why the Jarawa stand in for South Asia's first foragers
No ancient genome from South Asia's first hunter-gatherers has been sequenced yet, but their ancestry survives in almost everyone in the subcontinent. Geneticists call it Ancient Ancestral South Indian, or AASI, ancestry.
The closest living reference is found far offshore, among the indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. The Jarawa, one of these small hunter-gatherer communities, have long lived in relative isolation and share a deep but distant common origin with the AASI. That is why this map uses them as a proxy: values here measure ancestry related to that deep South Asian forager layer, not descent from the Andaman Islanders themselves.
In mainland India this ancestry tends to be highest among many tribal communities and in the south, and lower in the northwest, where Iranian farmer-related and steppe ancestry are more common.
In our model, South Asian hunter-gatherer ancestry peaks today in Jarawa (India), at 100.0%, followed by Onge (India) (97.8%) and Juang (India) (83.0%). The ten highest values come from India and Thailand. It reaches at least 5% in 310 of the 1,998 populations on the map, and at least 20% in 161 of them. On the world scale the colours run from 0 to 58.8%, the level reached by the top 2% of populations, so the deepest red marks the real hot spots.
Where South Asian hunter-gatherer ancestry peaks today
| # | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jarawa India | 100.0% |
| 2 | Onge India | 97.8% |
| 3 | Juang India | 83.0% |
| 4 | Bonda India | 76.5% |
| 5 | Porja India | 74.5% |
| 6 | Didayi Odisha India | 74.4% |
| 7 | Ho Bihar India | 73.5% |
| 8 | Khond India | 73.1% |
| 9 | Maniq Thailand | 72.4% |
| 10 | Ho Madhya Pradesh India | 72.3% |
Averages of modern populations, modelled with 17 reference sources. Tap a name to find it on the map.
The 17 ancestral sources
About these numbers
These maps show model estimates for population averages, not ethnic labels and not the result of any one person. Each source stands in for a wider ancestral population, and ancestries that have no source of their own in this set, such as Oceanian or Khoe-San ancestry, are absorbed by their closest relatives among the 17. Populations the model fits less well are shown with faded dots and count less in the colour surface.
Method: Each population average (Global25 coordinates) is modelled as a mix of 17 ancient and modern reference groups with non-negative least squares, shares adding up to 100%. Fit is the distance between the population and its best mix: the lower the better, above 0.06 the mix explains the population poorly. Top lists leave out the few populations these 17 groups cannot model at all (fit above 0.15). Data generated 1 October 2026, 1,998 populations on the map.
Keep exploring
For the full picture of one population, the Population Genetics Atlas has a page for each of hundreds of modern populations, with its ancient make-up and its closest modern and ancient neighbours.
Curious about your own DNA? The free Report Finder tests which of our reports fits your G25 coordinates, before you order anything.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the Jarawa used for South Asian hunter-gatherer ancestry?
No ancient DNA from South Asia's early hunter-gatherers is available yet. The Jarawa of the Andaman Islands share a deep, distant origin with them and carry no later Iranian farmer or steppe ancestry, so they are the best available proxy. Values on this map measure that deep forager ancestry, not descent from the Andaman Islanders.
Where is South Asian hunter-gatherer ancestry highest today?
In our model it is highest in Jarawa (India) (100.0%), Onge (India) (97.8%) and Juang (India) (83.0%). These are averages of modern populations modelled with 17 reference sources, so individuals within each population can differ.
How are these ancient ancestry maps made?
Each modern population average, taken from published G25 coordinates, is modelled as a mix of the same 17 ancient and modern reference sources with a non-negative least-squares fit, the same family of method our reports use. The map then interpolates the share of the selected source between the sampled places and leaves areas with no nearby samples blank.
Does a high value mean direct descent from these people?
No. Each source stands in for a broader ancestral population, and the 17 sources are fitted together, so closely related sources can trade shares between them. Read a value as how much of this kind of ancestry the model needs to describe a population average, not as a family tree.
Why are some areas of the map blank?
The colour surface is only drawn within a few hundred kilometres of real samples. Oceans and regions without data stay empty instead of showing invented values. Each dot on the map is a real population average.