▁It ▁shares ▁a ▁close ▁lex ical ▁similarity ▁with ▁Dir asha , ▁and ▁is ▁today ▁trans cribed ▁using ▁the ▁Eth iop ic ▁script . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁Eth iop ian ▁national ▁census , ▁the ▁Kon so ▁number ed ▁ 2 5 0 , 4 3 0 ▁individuals , ▁of ▁whom ▁ 1 0 , 4 7 0 ▁or ▁ 4 . 1 8 % ▁are ▁urban ▁dwell ers . ▁Over ▁ 8 7 % ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁Southern ▁Nations , ▁National ities , ▁and ▁People ' s ▁Region . ▁ ▁Gen et ics ▁Rec ent ▁adv ances ▁in ▁gen etic ▁anal ys es ▁have ▁helped ▁shed ▁some ▁light ▁on ▁the ▁eth n ogen esis ▁of ▁the ▁Kon so ▁people . ▁Gen etic ▁gene al ogy , ▁although ▁a ▁novel ▁tool ▁that ▁uses ▁the ▁gen es ▁of ▁modern ▁populations ▁to ▁trace ▁their ▁eth nic ▁and ▁ge ographic ▁orig ins , ▁has ▁also ▁helped ▁clarify ▁the ▁possible ▁background ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁Kon so . ▁ ▁Aut os om al ▁DNA ▁The ▁Kon so ' s ▁aut os om al ▁DNA ▁has ▁been ▁exam ined ▁in ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁study ▁by ▁T ish k off ▁et ▁al . ▁( 2 0 0 9 ) ▁on ▁the ▁gen etic ▁affili ations ▁of ▁various ▁populations ▁in ▁Africa . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁research ers , ▁the ▁Kon so ▁showed ▁significant ▁Af ro - A si atic ▁aff in ities . ▁They ▁also ▁shared ▁some ▁t ies ▁with ▁neighbor ing ▁N ilo