Python and SML

[Daniel P Mevorach]

I am new to Python and was struck by the similarity to 
a language I learned in a programming languages course,
SML/NJ.  It, like Python, is an interpreted language and
uses similar syntax for built in tuples, and lists 
(no dictionaries.  The major difference is that SML
is a functional language and therefore has some interesting
quirks.  I was wondering whether SML had any influence
on the development of Python?