India, Sept. 25 -- European colonisers altered the genetic ancestry of indigenous peoples in southern Africa, according to a new study.

The colonial-period arrival of Europeans in southern Africa is associated with strong sex-biased migration by which male settlers displaced indigenous Khoekhoe and San men, as per the study.

'Khoe-San' is a collective term for the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. Khoe-San communities harbour a high level of genetic diversity, representing the earliest population divergence among human populations. The diverse range of groups include both hunter-gatherers (San) and cattle/goat/sheep pastoralists (Khoekhoe) who share a common genetic ancestry.

The Khoe-San remained relatively isolated until approxi...