Comments on: Human evolutionary genetics papers this week….

By: SteveF

SteveF — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:01:46 +0000

Oooops, just checked GNXP and you already did! Apologies.

By: SteveF

SteveF — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:59:28 +0000

Also check out this interesting paper: Natural selection and cultural rates of change http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0711802105v1

By: pconroy

pconroy — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:34:08 +0000

Actually, forget my above comments – I misread the small print, that’s not Papuans and Pima, rather Melanesians, duh!

By: razib

razib — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:35:02 +0000

but this is genetic proof that some Native Americans and Australoids are actually related!
LOL. no, it’ sproof that STRUCTURE suggested a relationship given some K’s. different thing altogether. j. pritchard & co. are not gods

By: pconroy

pconroy — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:15:02 +0000

So are the Pima, Greg Cochran’s lost Neanderthals?!

By: pconroy

pconroy — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:13:30 +0000

Well the second paper – which Dienekes has a STRUCTURE map from – is very interesting, as it shows that Papuans and Pima clustering together?!
I guess I’ve read before about Fuegians – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuegians – appearing somewhat similar to Australoids before, but this is genetic proof that some Native Americans and Australoids are actually related!
quote:
The Fuegians are thought to be physically, culturally and linguistically distinct from other Native Americans. Some proponents of this theory suggest they may be the descendants of Australian Aborigines who colonized the area prior to the arrival of Asian Amerindians. Both Tehuelches and Selk’nams practiced body painting and rock art similar to that of Australian Aborigines. In contrast to most Amerindian peoples, Fuegians appeared to be taller than most Europeans (this does not include the Yahgans, who were quite short with skinny limbs and fat bodies- a physical adaptation to the cold, or the Kawesqar.) (See: Patagon myth.)