Genomic evidence supports the “long chronology” for the peopling of Sahul
Francesca Gandinia b, Mafalda Almeidac, M. George B. Foodyb, Nano Nagled, Anders Bergströme, Anna Olivierif, Simão Rodriguesb, Alessandro Ficherab, Gonzalo Oteo‐Garcíab g, Antonio Torronif, Alessandro Achillif, William S. Pomat
- aB-Cell Neoplasia Unit and Strategic Research Program on CLL, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- bSchool of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
- cDepartment of Biology, CBMA (Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- dDepartment of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- eSchool of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- fDipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- gDepartment of Environmental Biology, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
- hPapua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Post Office Box 60, Goroka, Papua New Guinea
- iAnalytical Biochemistry Research Centre (ABrC) and Human Identification/DNA Unit, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM Penang, Malaysia
- jBPP University, London, UK
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Abstract
The timing of the settlement of Sahul—the Pleistocene landmass formed by present-day New Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania that existed until ~9000 years ago (~9 ka)—remains highly contentious. The so-called “long chronology” posits the first main arrivals at ~60 to 65 ka, whereas a “short chronology” proposes 47 to 51 ka. Here, we exhaustively analyze an unprecedentedly large mitogenome dataset ( n = 2456) encompassing the full range of diversity from the indigenous populations of Australia, New Guinea, and Oceania, including a lineage related to those of New Guinea in an archaeological sample from Wallacea. We assess these lineages in the context of variation from Southeast Asia and a reevaluation of the mitogenome mutation rate, alongside genome-wide and Y-chromosome variation, and archaeological and climatological evidence. In contrast to recent recombinational dating approaches, we find support for the long chronology, suggesting settlement by ~60 ka via at least two distinct routes into Sahul.