Mitochondrial DNA Variation in Northern Island Melanesia

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Abstract
This chapter reports the mitochondrial DNA diversity in the Southwest Pacific, focusing on the extensive structure of this variation in Northern Island Melanesia. It shows that a constellation of mitochondrial variants in Northern Island Melanesia is particularly old and not found beyond the Wallace Line to the west. These variants must have developed subsequent to initial settlement some 40,000-50,000 years ago. The evidence also suggests a subsequent series of expansions into the region from the west, through the Upper Pleistocene and into the Holocene. The most recent involve haplogroup E and the so-called “Polynesian Motif” (haplogroup B4a1a1). This “Motif” clearly in Near Oceania forms a haplogroup that was introduced from Island Southeast Asia, and is closely associated with the Lapita phenomenon. There are some problems with the distribution of the “Motif” in Island Melanesia that require explanation. Overall, the mitochondrial DNA diversity is organized on a clear island-by-island basis, with the Papuan-speaking groups of the island interiors showing the greatest diversity, and the Oceanic-speaking groups on the coastlines the least.

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