title: Polynesian origins: insights from the Y chromosome.
abstract: The question surrounding the colonization of Polynesia has remained controversial. Two hypotheses, one postulating Taiwan as the putative homeland and the other asserting a Melanesian origin of the Polynesian people, have received considerable attention. In this work, we present haplotype data based on the distribution of 19 biallelic polymorphisms on the Y chromosome in a sample of 551 male individuals from 36 populations living in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Surprisingly, nearly none of the Taiwanese Y haplotypes were found in Micronesia and Polynesia. Likewise, a Melanesian-specific haplotype was not found among the Polynesians. However, all of the Polynesian, Micronesian, and Taiwanese haplotypes are present in the extant Southeast Asian populations. Evidently, the Y-chromosome data do not lend support to either of the prevailing hypotheses. Rather, we postulate that Southeast Asia provided a genetic source for two independent migrations, one toward Taiwan and the other toward Polynesia through island Southeast Asia.
authors.affiliation: Human Genetics Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77225, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Underhill
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: McGarvey
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Shriver
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oefner
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deka
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011114:Polynesia / Q000208:ethnology; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers