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Subject: PubMed abstract: mtDNA and Y in Polynesia
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:13:46 EDT
Mol Biol Evol. 2006 Aug 21; [Epub ahead of print]
Melanesian and Asian Origins of Polynesians: mtDNA and Y-chromosome Gradients
Across the Pacific.
Kayser M, Brauer S, Cordaux R, Casto A, Lao O, Zhivotovsky LA, Moyse-Faurie
C, Rutledge RB, Schiefenhoevel W, Gil D, Lin AA, Underhill PA, Oefner PJ, Trent
RJ, Stoneking M.
Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary
Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Forensic Molecular Biology,
Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The human settlement of the Pacific Islands represents one of the most recent
major migration events of mankind. Polynesians originated in Asia according
to linguistic evidence or in Melanesia according to archaeological evidence. To
shed light on the genetic origins of Polynesians we investigated over 400
Polynesians from eight island groups, in comparison with over 900 individuals
from potential parental populations of Melanesia, Southeast and East Asia, and
Australia, by means of Y-chromosome (NRY) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers.
Overall, we classified 94.1% of Polynesian Y-chromosomes and 99.8% of
Polynesian mtDNAs as of either Melanesian (NRY-DNA: 65.8%, mtDNA: 6%) or Asian
(NRY-DNA: 28.3%, mtDNA: 93.8%) origin, suggesting a dual genetic origin of
Polynesians in agreement with the "Slow Boat" hypothesis. Our data suggest a pronounced
admixture bias in Polynesians towards more Melanesian men than women, perhaps
as a result of matrilocal residence in the ancestral Polynesian society.
Although dating methods are consistent with somewhat similar entries of NRY/mtDNA
haplogroups into Polynesia, haplotype sharing suggests an earlier appearance
of Melanesian haplogroups than those from Asia. Surprisingly, we identified
gradients in the frequency distribution of some NRY/mtDNA haplogroups across
Polynesia and a gradual west to east decrease of overall NRY/mtDNA diversity, not
only providing evidence for a west-to-east direction of Polynesian settlements
but also suggesting that Pacific voyaging was regular rather than haphazard.
We also demonstrate that Fiji played a pivotal role in the history of
Polynesia: humans probably first migrated to Fiji, and subsequent settlement of
Polynesia probably came from Fiji.
PMID: 16923821 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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