Under the direction of the University of Australia ANU, the largest genetic study carried out to date by the inhabitants of Australia and its adjacent islands has been carried out. Specifically, the DNA of 160 indigenous people from different backgrounds has been analyzed: the four most aboriginal communities in the desert, the far north of Queensland and the two islands of the north. The results show important genetic differences according to origin.
The results have been published in the journal Nature. According to the researchers, the differences between the Tiwi and Australian desert islands are as large as those in Bangladesh and those in the United Kingdom. Some of the genetic varieties have also been found only in specific indigenous communities and may be related to genetic diseases. Thus, the research will serve to adapt prevention, diagnoses and treatments to the genetic characteristics of the communities.