Characterization of population structure from the mitochondrial DNA vis‐à‐vis language and geography in Papua New Guinea

Situated along a corridor linking the Asian continent with the outer islands of the Pacific, Papua New Guinea has long played a key role in understanding the initial peopling of Oceania. The vast diversity in languages and unique geographical environments in the region have been central to the debates on human migration and the degree of interaction between the Pleistocene settlers and newer migrants. To better understand the role of Papua New Guinea in shaping the region's prehistory, we sequenced the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of three populations, a total of 94 individuals, located in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. We analyzed these samples with a large data set of Oceania populations to examine the role of geography and language in shaping population structure within New Guinea and between the region and Island Melanesia. Our results from median‐joining networks, star‐cluster age estimates, and population genetic analyses show that while highland New Guinea populations seem to be the oldest settlers, there has been significant gene flow within New Guinea with little influence from geography or language. The highest genetic division is between Papuan speakers of New Guinea versus East Papuan speakers located outside of mainland New Guinea. Our study supports the weak language barriers to genetic structuring among populations in close contact and highlights the complexity of understanding the genetic histories of Papua New Guinea in association with language and geography. Am J Phys Anthropol 142:613–624, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A host-parasite list of the protozoan and helminth parasites of New Guinea animals

Ewers W. H. 1973. A host-parasite list of the protozoan and helminth parasites of New Guinea animals. International Journal for Parasitology, 3: 89–110. This paper provides a hostparasite list for protozoan and helminth parasites recorded from native animals of New Guinea. The synonomy of both hosts and parasites are given together with references to the literature of each species of parasite.     

Brief communication: mitochondrial DNA variation suggests extensive gene flow from Polynesian ancestors to indigenous Melanesians in the northwestern Bismarck Archipelago

Archaeological, linguistic, and genetic studies show that Austronesian (AN)-speaking Polynesian ancestors came from Asia/Taiwan to the Bismarck Archipelago in Near Oceania more than 3,600 years ago, and then expanded into Remote Oceania. However, it remains unclear whether they extensively mixed with indigenous Melanesians who had populated the Bismarck Archipelago before their arrival. To examine the extent of admixture between Polynesian ancestors and indigenous Melanesians, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations in the D-loop region and the cytochrome oxidase and lysine transfer RNA (COII/tRNA(Lys)) intergenic 9-bp deletion were analyzed in the following three Oceanian populations: 1) Balopa Islanders as AN-speaking Melanesians living in the northwestern end of the Bismarck Archipelago, 2) Tongans as AN-speaking Polynesians, and 3) Gidra as non-Austronesian-speaking Melanesians in the southwestern lowlands of Papua New Guinea. Phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA sequences revealed that more than 60% of mtDNA sequences in the Balopa Islanders were very similar to those in Tongans, suggesting an extensive gene flow from Polynesian ancestors to indigenous Melanesians. Furthermore, analysis of pairwise difference distributions for the D-loop sequences with the 9-bp deletion and the Polynesian motif (i.e., T16217C, A16247G, and C16261T) suggested that the expansion of Polynesian ancestors possessing these variations occurred approximately 7,000 years ago.     

广东地区汉族群体线粒体DNA 9bp序列缺失频率研究

旨在研究中国广东省部分地区汉族人群线粒体DNA RegionⅤ9bp序列缺失情况.采用PCR-PAGE和直接测序法对3个群体144份样本mtDNA RegionⅤ进行序列分析.结果只检测到标准型和短型(即9 bp缺失)两种多态.广东汉族人群的平均缺失频率为21.5%,广州、东莞和湛江汉族人群的缺失频率依次为20.8%、19.2%和25.0%.由此得出,广东汉族人群mtDNA 9 bp缺失频率较高,与其它地区汉族群体存在一定的差异.     

A new species of hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) from Papua New Guinea

A new species of seven‐gilled hagfish Eptatretus astrolabium (Myxinidae) is described from a 400 mm total length female trapped 1 km east from Planet Rock, Astrolabe Bay, Papua New Guinea, at c. 500 m depth. This is the first hagfish species reported from the waters around New Guinea. It can be distinguished from other hagfishes by a combination of characters including seven pairs of gill apertures, three‐cusp multicusps on the anterior and posterior rows of cusps, 10 posterior unicusps, 52 total cusps, 18–19 prebranchial pores, five branchial pores, 48–49 trunk pores, 83–84 total pores and no nasal‐sinus papillae.     

HLA-DRB1 frequencies of non-Austronesian-speaking Gidra in south New Guinea and their genetic affinities with Oceanian populations

DNA typing of HLA-DRB1 genes was conducted for 192 samples from the Gidra who speak one of the non-Austronesian languages and inhabit the southern lowlands of New Guinea. Comparison of the allele frequencies with those of eight other Oceanian populations reveals that the Gidra are genetically closest to the non-Austronesian-speaking Goroka and, next, to the Aboriginal Australian groups, but are remote from the Austronesian-speaking groups in mainland New Guinea and the rest of Melanesia. This finding clearly supports the hypothesis that non-Austronesians and Aboriginal Australians are descendants of the first-stage migrants to Oceania. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence variability among populations of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA variability was examined to assess population genetic structure and phylogeographic relationships in rainbow trout. Single-strand conformation polymorphisms and restriction site differences within 1055 bp of the mitochondrial D-loop region and 1566 bp of nuclear DNA in six single-copy nuclear DNA regions identified 31 mitochondrial genotypes and 50 nuclear alleles. Gene trees were constructed by sequencing each variant allele or mitochondrial genotype identified. Examination of 30 populations in 10 native rainbow trout groups using an analysis of molecular variance ( AMOVA ) indicated that 65% of mitochondrial variability and 35% of nuclear variability was explained by differences among the 10 groups. Phylogenetic patterns evident in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA were not always concordant. Differences in the evolutionary patterns detected by mitochondrial and nuclear DNA may reflect the differential impact of past introgression events on variability in the two genomes.     

印尼新几内亚巴布亚省豕蛙属4新种(两栖纲:姬蛙科)(英文)

姬蛙科豕蛙属(Choerophryne)已知5种,几乎都分布于新几内亚岛东部地区,已有物种的描述多基于较少数量的标本,由于标本贫乏,迄今无 后续研究.本文针对采集于1998-2003年的50号标本,对该属进行了再研究,并描述了分布 于新几内亚岛的巴布亚西北地区鲜为人知的4新种.与同属已知物种比较,新种的有效性得 到来自形态、声谱以及分子数据的综合分析结果的支持.在新几内亚岛西部地区豕蛙属4新 种中,至少有3种的种群密度很高,从而极大增加了对该属的了解     

mtDNA variability in two Bantu‐speaking populations (Shona and Hutu) from Eastern Africa: Implications for peopling and migration patterns in sub‐Saharan Africa

In this study, we report novel data on mitochondrial DNA in two of the largest eastern Bantu‐speaking populations, the Shona from Zimbabwe and the Hutu from Rwanda. The goal is to evaluate the genetic relationships of these two ethnic groups with other Bantu‐speaking populations. Moreover, by comparing our data with those from other Niger‐Congo speaking populations, we aim to clarify some aspects of evolutionary and demographic processes accompanying the spread of Bantu languages in sub‐Saharan Africa and to test if patterns of genetic variation fit with models of population expansion based on linguistic and archeological data. The results indicate that the Shona and Hutu are closely related to the other Bantu‐speaking populations. However, there are some differences in haplogroup composition between the two populations, mainly due to different genetic contributions from neighboring populations. This result is confirmed by estimates of migration rates which show high levels of gene flow not only between pairs of Bantu‐speaking populations, but also between Bantu and non‐Bantu speakers. The observed pattern of genetic variability (high genetic homogeneity and high levels of gene flow) supports a linguistic model suggesting a gradual spread of Bantu‐speakers, with strong interactions between the different lines of Bantu‐speaker descent, and is also in agreement with recent archeological findings. In conclusion, our data emphasize the role that population admixture has played at different times and to varying degrees in the dispersal of Bantu languages. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The taro monoculture of central New Guinea

An ancient, sustainable, and low risk Colocasiataro monoculture has persisted until modern times among the Mountain Ok peoples of central New Guinea. There is a monoculture-polyculture axis in the region with taro monocultures predominant in the rain forests of the mid-altitude fringe. We argue that when examined from the standpoint of ecosystem simplification, biological variability, and subsistence vulnerability, the taro monocultures exhibit many ecological and systemic properties commonly attributed to polycultures. Monoculture is not an exclusive category; specific cases must be placed in a broader context of the larger ecosystem and the options people have at their disposal. Reduction of the taro monoculture is occurring in response to modernization pressures.     

Investigating sex‐specific dynamics using uniparental markers: West New Guinea as a case study

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome (NRY) genetic markers have been often contrasted to investigate sex‐specific dynamics. Traditionally, isolation by distance, intrapopulation genetic diversity and population differentiation are estimated from both markers and compared. Two possible sources of bias are often neglected. First, kilometric distances are frequently used as predictor of the connectivity between groups, hiding the role played by environmental features at a microgeographic scale. Second, the comparison of intrapopulation diversity and population differentiation between mtDNA and NRY is hampered by their different mutational mechanisms and rates. Here, we show how to account for these biases by analyzing from a different perspective a published dataset of eight West New Guinea (WNG) populations for which mtDNA control region sequences and seven linked NRY microsatellites had been typed. First, we modeled the connectivity among sampled populations by computing the number of days required to travel between groups. Then, we investigated the differences between the two sexes accounting for the molecular characteristics of the markers examined to obtain estimates on the product of the effective population size and the migration rate among demes (Nm). We achieved this goal by studying the shape of the gene genealogy at several sampling levels and using spatial explicit simulations. Both the direction and the rate of migration differ between male and females, with an Nm estimated to be >6 times higher in the latter under many evolutionary scenarios. We finally highlight the importance of applying metapopulation models when analyzing the genetic diversity of a species.     

Mitochondrial DNA variation in European populations of Silurus glanis

Mitochondrial DNA diversity of 13 wild Silurus glanis populations (covering the entire range of the species) and eight hatchery populations was investigated. PCR-RFLP analysis of four regions of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b, control region, ND-5/6) was used. Nineteen haplotypes were found. Thirteen of them were private. The proportion of total genetic diversity attributable to population differentiation was almost 80%. Despite the existence of significant differentiation between populations for mtDNA variation, no consistent pattern of geographic structuring was revealed and nucleotide divergence among S. glanis populations was low. These phenomena are discussed with regard to the impact of glaciation events. The domesticated stocks show less genetic diversity than natural ones, possibly due to their mode of management. Analysis of three European catfish species S. glanis, S. aristotelis and Silurus triostegus (sampled in the Euphrates river) revealed several endonucleases which produced restriction phenotypes diagnostic for the three species.     

Mitochondrial DNA variation in Indo-Pacific populations of the giant tiger prawn,Penaeus monodon

Surveys of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in the giant tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon, using restriction fragment length polymorphisms have provided the first clear evidence that the Indo-West Pacific region is a site of accumulation of genetic diversity rather than a site of origin of genetic diversity. No haplotyes were found in common between a group of five southeast African populations and a group of five Australian (including Western Australia) and three southeast Asian populations. The dominant haplotype was different in the Australian and southeast Asian population groups. Genetic diversity (pi) was greatest in Indonesia (pi averaged 0.05), less in the Philippines and Australia (pi averaged 0.01), and markedly less in the southeast African and the West Australian populations (pi averaged 0.003). The high diversity of the southeast Asian populations resulted from the occurrence in those populations of a set of haplotypes found only in southeast Asia but derived from the southeast African haplotypes. These genetic variants therefore evolved in the Indian Ocean and later migrated into the Indo-West Pacific region. Low genetic variation in the geographically marginal populations in southeast Africa and Western Australia is considered to be the result of bottlenecks, but mismatch distributions suggest that large population sizes have been maintained in Indonesian populations for long periods.     

The interrelationships of disease and culture in a primitive New Guinea community

This article explores links between disease and social standing in a primitive New Guinea community. Social and cultural events have modified the incidence of certain diseases. Furthermore, the changing patterns of disease may have influenced the development and form of social distinctions.This work is based on data collected as a predoctoral fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University. Fieldwork in New Guinea was done with NIH support under Training Grant 1 T01-MH11775-01 (related to 2 F1 MH301640-02), with Dr. Margaret Mead as the sponsor. Additional funding for analysis of data was obtained from the Harvard School of Public Health, the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Harvard Medical School, and the Institute for Transcultural Studies in New York.     

Studies of endemic cretinism in Papua New Guinea: digital and palmar dermatoglyphic patterns

We have tested the hypothesis that the abnormal development of the central nervous system seen in endemic cretinism might be accompanied by concurrent abnormal dermatoglyphic patterns. We compared digital and palmar dermatoglyphics of normal individuals and endemic cretins inhabiting the Huon Peninsula of Papua New Guinea. The population sampled from the Irumu River Valley included 118 males and 114 females with 22 male cretins and 23 female cretins. The population sampled from the Wantoat River Valley included 72 males and 38 females with 12 male cretins. No pathognomonic patterns were found that could identify the endemic cretin subpopulation. However, the occurrence of a number of differences between controls and cretins suggests that subtle changes in dermatoglyphic patterns accompany the anomalous development of the CNS secondary to maternal iodine deficiency. We discuss the significance of these findings and compare the dermatoglyphic patterns of normal Irumu and Wantoat natives and 21 other populations of Papua New Guinea.     

Mitochondrial DNA D‐loop sequence analysis reveals high variation and multiple maternal origins of indigenous Tanzanian goat populations

The Small East African (SEA) goat are widely distributed in different agro‐ecological zones of Tanzania. We report the genetic diversity, maternal origin, and phylogenetic relationship among the 12 Tanzanian indigenous goat populations, namely Fipa, Songwe, Tanga, Pwani, Iringa, Newala, Lindi, Gogo, Pare, Maasai, Sukuma, and Ujiji, based on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D‐loop. High haplotype (H _d = 0.9619–0.9945) and nucleotide (π = 0.0120–0.0162) diversities were observed from a total of 389 haplotypes. The majority of the haplotypes (n = 334) belonged to Haplogroup A which was consistent with the global scenario on the genetic pattern of maternal origin of all goat breeds in the world. Haplogroup G comprised of 45 haplotypes drawn from all populations except the Ujiji goat population while Haplogroup B with 10 haplotypes was dominated by Ujiji goats (41%). Tanzanian goats shared four haplotypes with the Kenyan goats and two with goats from South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique. There was no sharing of haplotypes observed between individuals from Tanzanian goat populations with individuals from North or West Africa. The indigenous goats in Tanzania have high genetic diversity defined by 389 haplotypes and multiple maternal origins of haplogroup A, B, and G. There is a lot of intermixing and high genetic variation within populations which represent an abundant resource for selective breeding in the different agro‐ecological regions of the country.     

Revision of the termite family Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera) in New Guinea

Recently, we completed a revision of the Termitidae from New Guinea and neighboring islands, recording a total of 45 species. Here, we revise a second family, the Rhinotermitidae, to progress towards a full picture of the termite diversity in New Guinea. Altogether, 6 genera and 15 species are recorded, among which two species, Coptotermes gambrinus and Parrhinotermes barbatus, are new to science. The genus Heterotermes is reported from New Guinea for the first time, with two species restricted to the southern part of the island. We also provide the first New Guinea records for six species of the genera Coptotermes and Schedorhinotermes. We briefly describe soldiers and imagoes of each species and provide a key based on soldier characters. Finally, we discuss the taxonomic and biogeographical implication of our results. A replacement name, Schedolimulus minutides Bourguignon, is proposed for the termitophilous staphylinid Schedolimulus minutus Bourguignon, to solve a question of secondary homonymy.