2025/11/28 by Francesca Gandini, Mafalda Almeida, M. George B. Foody +24 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Social Sciences · #Forensic and Genetic Research #Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
paper · doi:10.1126/sciadv.ady9493
openalex created_date 2025/11/28 · openalex publication_date 2025/11/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
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.