The inhabitants of Jothimanickam village, carry the chromosome marker scientifically labeled "M130", which is a gene found only among the descendants of the African migrants who had spread across the world tens of thousands of years ago. They are part of a ‘breeding isolate’ caste of Tamil Nadu (Southern India) and considered direct descendants of the first coastal migration from Africa to Australia.

For further information see the work of Dr. Spencer Wells director of the National Geographic Human Genome Project and the work of Dr Pitchappan of School of Biological Sciences at Madurai Kamaraj University.