A recent research on the genetic make-up of Africans has revealed that the genetic diversity among these people is much more than it was earlier believed.

Researchers for studying the genetics sequenced the complete genomes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa and four Bushmen from Namibia. They were more than 80 years old.

Dr Vanessa Hayes of the University of New South Wales in Australia, who worked on the study reported, "On average we found as many genetic differences between two Bushmen than between a European and an Asian. This research now provides us with the tools to read the story of human evolution and specifically the story of disease evolution.”

The researchers stated that due to Africans evolving at one place as compared to Asians or Europeans who moved to various places, also had more genetic diversity.

The team looked the age aspect and genetic roots. Those who were assessed were Tutu, an ethnic Bantu, while the four Bushmen were from Kalahari desert of Namibia from hunter-gatherer societies.

"The Bushmen participants have reached their advanced age despite living under harsh conditions due to periodical famine and untreated illness," researchers stated.

They found differences in the genes that made some prone to malaria, gave them stronger bones, and more was seen.

Experts now feel that these findings might help them to designing better drugs.