The Pacific: DNA

doi:10.1017/CHO9781139017831.038

1.34 - The Pacific: DNA

from IV. - The Pacific

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2014

Peter Forster and

Colin Renfrew

Edited by

Colin Renfrew and

Paul Bahn

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Peter Forster: Affiliation:
Cambridge Society for the Application of Research, Churchill College
Colin Renfrew: Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Colin Renfrew: Affiliation:
University of Cambridge

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Summary

Initial Colonisation

Australia was probably occupied by humans at least fifty thousand years ago (Stringer 2002; see Chapter 1.35), at a time when lowered sea levels created a land-bridge between Australia and neighbouring New Guinea, and when the region was separated from the Eurasian landmass by only narrow straits such as are represented by Wallace’s Line. It therefore makes genetic sense to discuss Australia and Highland New Guinea as one unit (Sahul, as it is known), at least as far as the earliest prehistoric colonisation periods are concerned, and to disregard coastal New Guinea, with its Holocene Malayo-Polynesian genetic markers, for the early period.

The dates for the archaeological indications of the first colonisation of Australia are compatible with the out-of-Africa scenario outlined in the introductory chapters and Part II of this book. And the archaeogenetic evidence (which is provided by samples from living Aboriginal populations) gives only limited support for the “multiregional origin hypothesis”. This is important, given the “archaic” appearance of some of the fossil remains – for instance, from Kow Swamp. It should be noted, however, that ancient DNA analyses from early Australian Aboriginal remains have not yet been obtained or published. An adequate synthesis of the archaeogenetic evidence for Australia cannot be achieved until such time as they are.

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge World Prehistory , pp. 561 - 565

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781139017831.038 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2014

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