Asia has at least 10 different ancestral groups whereas northern Europe has only one lineage, according to a global genetic comparison that included 598 genomes from India.
The study analysed the genomes of 1,739 people, and represents the widest coverage of genetic diversity in Asia to date, the researchers said.
Covering 64 different countries, the study, published in the journal Nature, will guide scientists in studying diseases unique to Asians, they said.