title: Ancient DNA and the human settlement of the Pacific: a review.
abstract: The Pacific region provides unique opportunities to study human evolution including through analyses of ancient DNA. While some of the earliest studies involving ancient DNA from skeletal remains focused on Pacific samples, in the following 25 years, several factors meant that little aDNA research, particularly research focused on human populations, has emerged. This paper briefly presents the genetic evidence for population origins, reviews what ancient DNA work has been undertaken to address human history and evolution in the Pacific region, and argues that the future is bright but research requires a collaborative approach between academic disciplines but also with local communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. Electronic address: matisoo-smith@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matisoo-Smith
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D049690:History, Ancient; D063426:Human Migration / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D011114:Polynesia
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Commensal models; Human migration; Lapita; Polynesia; Sahul