Forensic and genetic characterizations of diverse southern Thai populations based on 15 autosomal STRs

Metawee Srikummool,Kanha Muisuk,Sukrit Sangkhano,Jatupol Kampuansai,Suparat Srithawong,Chatmongkon Suwannapoom,Wibhu Kutanan

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04646-1

Metawee Srikummool, Kanha Muisuk + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04646-1

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Abstract

Southern Thailand is home to various populations; the Moklen, Moken and Urak Lawoi’ sea nomads and Maniq negrito are the minority, while the southern Thai groups (Buddhist and Muslim) are the majority. Although previous studies have generated forensic STR dataset for major groups, such data of the southern Thai minority have not been included; here we generated a regional forensic database of southern Thailand. We newly genotyped common 15 autosomal STRs in 184 unrelated southern Thais, including all minorities and majorities. When combined with previously published data of major southern Thais, this provides a total of 334 southern Thai samples. The forensic parameter results show appropriate values for personal identification and paternity testing; the probability of excluding paternity is 0.99999622, and the combined discrimination power is 0.999999999999999. Probably driven by genetic drift and/or isolation with small census size, we found genetic distinction of the Maniq and sea nomads from the major groups, which were closer to the Malay and central Thais than the other Thai groups. The allelic frequency results can strength the regional forensic database in southern Thailand and also provide useful information for anthropological perspective.

Highlights

Southern Thailand is home to various populations; the Moklen, Moken and Urak Lawoi’ sea nomads and Maniq negrito are the minority, while the southern Thai groups (Buddhist and Muslim) are the majority
Total genetic diversity of all southern Thai samples was 0.7871 ± 0.3945, whereas that in individual populations ranged from 0.6742 ± 0.3526 in the Maniq to 0.7943 ± 0.4012 in southern Thai Buddhist (Table 1)
The allelic frequency generated here from combined STRs data from several populations is useful for further forensic investigation in the region

Summary

Introduction

Southern Thailand is home to various populations; the Moklen, Moken and Urak Lawoi’ sea nomads and Maniq negrito are the minority, while the southern Thai groups (Buddhist and Muslim) are the majority. The AN-speaking sea nomads were used to subsist through maritime foraging in most of the year, nowadays they prefer to settle in the coastal area of Thailand and Myanmar[4] Both Maniq and sea nomads were minority groups and thought to be native in southern Thailand since prehistorical time, together with the other groups, e.g. AA-speaking Mon and Khmer before the occupation of the AN-speaking Malays and TK-speaking Thais, thought the Mon and Khmer people are nowadays disappear in southern T hailand[5]. Code JH MST BST MN MLK UL MOK MUS BUD ML1 ML2 YU YO CT MO KH IS

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