Origin of the Romany gypsies--genetic evidence

Abstract

Genetic heterogeneity and affinity was examined between nine Romany speaking gypsy populations and two of their possible ancestral populations from India. For AB0, Rhesus (D), MN and HP systems there exists a conclusive heterogeneity among these populations. Three gypsy populations from Western Europe (English, Welsh and Swedish) are genetically distinct from the rest of the East European gypsies and the populations of India analysed in this investigation. Overall the genetic differentiation among these populations is moderately high (RST = 0.029). The results also indicate the relative close relationship among the East gypsies and the two selected nomadic populations of India. The factors responsible for the moderate diversification of the East European gypsies may be high rate of migration, isolation and random drift, while among the Western gypsy populations admixture seems to be an important differentiation factor.