Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From

by Tony Joseph

Take, for example, our food habits. It is clear that north Indians and western Indians consume far more milk and milk products and far less meat and fish than east Indians or south Indians. Politicians and commentators often look at these differences as sociopolitical in nature. But these have a more foundational reason: genes. Or more specifically, a gene mutation called 13910T which originated in Europe some 7500 years ago. This gene allows the human body to digest milk beyond infancy, into adulthood. Homo sapiens are the only mammals in the world who have acquired this ability. This is not surprising because before humans figured out they could keep cattle or goats and exploit them for milk, such a mutation would have been unnecessary. But once they started domesticating cattle, the ability to digest milk as adults would have became tremendously useful, and a mutated gene that fit the bill was selected over time by evolution.