Two tribes in the Andamans may be the direct descendants of the earliest modern humans who trudged out of Africa over 70,000 years ago, scientists will announce tomorrow.

A study by Indian scientists has revealed the African origins of the Great Andamanese and the Onge tribes and may force researchers to revise current theories about prehistoric human migration.

The Great Andamanese and the Onge are both Negrito tribes and scientists have suspected that their roots lie in Africa. But previous studies had hinted that they are closer to Asians than to Africans.

Now, scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad have reported that the two tribes have remained isolated on the islands for tens of thousands of years.

"Ancient genetic mutations in these tribes make them closer to Africans than any other populations in the world," said Dr Lalji Singh, CCMB director.

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