Kusunda: an Indo-Pacific language in Nepal

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Apr 13;101(15):5692-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0400233101. Epub 2004 Mar 31.

Abstract

The Kusunda people of central Nepal have long been regarded as a relic tribe of South Asia. They are, or were until recently, seminomadic hunter-gatherers, living in jungles and forests, with a language that shows no similarities to surrounding languages. They are often described as shorter and darker than neighboring tribes. Our research indicates that the Kusunda language is a member of the Indo-Pacific family. This is a surprising finding inasmuch as the Indo-Pacific family is located on New Guinea and surrounding islands. The possibility that Kusunda is a remnant of the migration that led to the initial peopling of New Guinea and Australia warrants additional investigation from both a linguistic and genetic perspective.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Genetics, Population
  • Humans
  • Indian Ocean
  • Language*
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander* / ethnology
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander* / genetics
  • Nepal
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Population Groups* / ethnology
  • Population Groups* / genetics