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SUMMARY:The genetic history of Papua New Guinea: 50\,000 years of independ
 ent human evolution - Chris Tyler-Smith (The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institu
 te)
DTSTART:20170208T163000Z
DTEND:20170208T173000Z
UID:TALK69649@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ann Van Baelen
DESCRIPTION:New Guinea stands out in studies of human diversity because of
  its linguistic richness\, unique transition from hunting and gathering to
  food production and\, in genetic analyses\, for its lack of large-scale d
 ata. We have generated high-coverage whole-genome sequences from 39 indivi
 duals from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and genomewide SNP genotypes from 381\, 
 representing 85 language groups from both highland and lowland populations
 . Using these data\, together with available datasets from other areas\, w
 e have investigated the genetic history of the region. \n\nWe find little 
 evidence of admixture with external populations in the highlands\, but sub
 stantial East Asian admixture in the lowlands\, reflecting population expa
 nsions from Southeast Asia in the last few millennia\, and excluded these 
 components from subsequent analyses where appropriate. Genetic divergence 
 between Asia and PNG dates back to around 50\,000 years\, indicating a lon
 g history of independent evolution. Within PNG\, genetic differentiation i
 s high\, both between highlands and lowlands\, and within each of these ar
 eas\, exceeding levels typically seen between major populations within ent
 ire continents and mirroring the great linguistic and cultural diversity o
 f the country. Yet the within-PNG differentiation appears to have a much m
 ore recent origin 20\,000 years ago or less. Incorporating both genetic an
 d non-genetic data\, we propose a model where the present-day structure is
  dominated by a population expansion in the highlands from a single geneti
 c source\, starting in the early Holocene and potentially accompanied by t
 he spread of the Trans-New Guinea language family and food production.\n
LOCATION:Seminar Room\, Henry Wellcome Building\, Division of Biological A
 nthropology\, Fitzwilliam Street\, Cambridge\, CB2 3QG
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