Genes, Language, & Culture History in the Southwest Pacific

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Biological Sciences, Evolution, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book Genes, Language, & Culture History in the Southwest Pacific by , Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9780190293673
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: April 19, 2007
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9780190293673
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: April 19, 2007
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

The broad arc of islands north of Australia that extends from Indonesia east towards the central Pacific is home to a set of human populations whose concentration of diversity is unequaled elsewhere. Approximately 20% of the worlds languages are spoken here, and the biological and genetic heterogeneity among the groups is extraordinary. Anthropologist W.W. Howells once declared diversity in the region so Protean as to defy analysis. However, this book can now claim considerable success in describing and understanding the origins of the genetic and linguistic variation there. In order to cut through this biological knot, the authors have applied a comprehensive battery of genetic analyses to an intensively sampled set of populations, and have subjected these and complementary linguistic data to a variety of phylogenetic analyses. This has revealed a number of heretofore unknown ancient Pleistocene genetic variants that are only found in these island populations, and has also identified the genetic footprints of more recent migrants from Southeast Asia who were the ancestors of the Polynesians. The book lays out the very complex structure of the variation within and among the islands in this relatively small region, and a number of explanatory models are tested to see which best account for the observed pattern of genetic variation here. The results suggest that a number of commonly used models of evolutionary divergence are overly simple in their assumptions, and that often human diversity has accumulated in very complex ways.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The broad arc of islands north of Australia that extends from Indonesia east towards the central Pacific is home to a set of human populations whose concentration of diversity is unequaled elsewhere. Approximately 20% of the worlds languages are spoken here, and the biological and genetic heterogeneity among the groups is extraordinary. Anthropologist W.W. Howells once declared diversity in the region so Protean as to defy analysis. However, this book can now claim considerable success in describing and understanding the origins of the genetic and linguistic variation there. In order to cut through this biological knot, the authors have applied a comprehensive battery of genetic analyses to an intensively sampled set of populations, and have subjected these and complementary linguistic data to a variety of phylogenetic analyses. This has revealed a number of heretofore unknown ancient Pleistocene genetic variants that are only found in these island populations, and has also identified the genetic footprints of more recent migrants from Southeast Asia who were the ancestors of the Polynesians. The book lays out the very complex structure of the variation within and among the islands in this relatively small region, and a number of explanatory models are tested to see which best account for the observed pattern of genetic variation here. The results suggest that a number of commonly used models of evolutionary divergence are overly simple in their assumptions, and that often human diversity has accumulated in very complex ways.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Guardians Of The Revolution : Iran And The World In The Age Of The Ayatollahs by
Cover of the book Coercion by
Cover of the book Human-Tech by
Cover of the book Beyond Greed And Fear : Understanding Behavioral Finance And The Psychology Of Investing by
Cover of the book Debating Brain Drain by
Cover of the book Toward a Humanist Justice by
Cover of the book Defining Creole by
Cover of the book The Ethics of Sport by
Cover of the book Handbook of Behavioral Interventions in Schools by
Cover of the book Person, Polis, Planet by
Cover of the book Rome:An Empire's Story by
Cover of the book The Long Tomorrow by
Cover of the book Bulk Collection by
Cover of the book Ethical Dilemmas in Genetics and Genetic Counseling by
Cover of the book Shapes of American Ballet by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy