Research conducted by the University of Colombo has revealed that the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils and Moors share many genetic similarities, despite popular belief to the contrary.
The observation was made following a four-year-long study conducted by the University of Colombo and Genetech, a molecular science facility.
According to reports, the observation about Sri Lanka’s major ethnicities was found accidentally, while researching some other aspect.
Head researcher Dr. Gayani Galhena revealed that the study has found that Sri Lankans group with Europeans and South Asians, confirming genetic sharing with the said groups.
The research has suggested that the Sinhalese shared a larger genetic similarity with Sri Lankan Moors than the Sri Lankan Tamils, which comes as a surprise as it was widely believed that Sinhalese would have had more similarities with the Tamils than the Moors.
Dr. Galhena said the study had also revealed that the Moors originated from India and not the Middle East, contrary to popular belief.
The research has also revealed that Indian Tamils have shown a 0.4% difference in comparison to the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils and Moors. (NewsWire)