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DNA offers clues to ancient Samoan settlement and unique ancestry

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Germinator
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Samoa experienced an exponential jump in its population around 1000 years ago, and the ancestry of contemporary Samoans is relatively unique when compared to other Pacific island groups, a new study has found.

Dr Ethan Cochrane and Pena of Falevao Village taking a break from identifying ancient structures in the Samoan bush.

The study, which included Associate Professor Ethan Cochrane from the University of Auckland, analysed modern DNA from more than 1,100 Samoans, collected as part of an earlier study which involved several US universities and the Samoan Ministry of Health.

While the earlier study uncovered links between particular genetic profiles and increased risk of heart disease, the latest study, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), analysed the same data to estimate the degree of shared ancestry of present-day Samoans with other human groups, the degree of shared genetic similarity within Samoan people and then estimated changing population size over time.

The data consisted of whole genomes (entire genetic blueprints) of individuals, but was broken down for more specific analyses, says Dr Cochrane.

“Although our study was not focused on health issues, we analysed the data from the earlier study to answer some key questions about the settlement history of Samoa: how big was the founding population of Samoa 3,000 years ago, were there multiple ancient migrations to Samoa and how did the Samoan population grow over time?”

And they made some unexpected discoveries.

“Despite the prevailing archaeological opinon that the initial population size of Samoa would have been relatively similar to nearby Tonga and Fiji, our genetic results indicate that the founding population of Samoa was actually quite small, between 800 and 3300 people and stayed quite low until about 1000 years ago.”

Aumua Matiu Tautunu of the National University of Samoa (right) and Petelu of Samusu Village on an ancient Samoan mound that might have been built after the population jump.

He says estimates of population size changes over time involved complicated analyses referred to as Identity by Descent (IBD).

“Put simply, populations share genetic code via sexual reproduction and as a result of mating, the chunks of this code from the parents get cut up into smaller chunks in their children. The distribution of DNA-chunk sizes (IBD segments) is therefore influenced by population size; that is, a larger population equals more sexual reproduction, leading to smaller chunk sizes. Also as reproduction happens in a population over time, the longer time frame over which the population exists means more reproduction, and smaller chunk sizes.”

The IBD analyses also suggested a marked jump in the Samoan population size about 1,000 years ago, up to as many as 10,000 people, which coincides with a number of other cultural changes in Samoa, as well as the initial settlment of distant archipelagos like Tahiti, Hawaii and the Cook Islands.

“It’s possible that the populating of these other islands is related to demographic changes in Samoa,” says Dr Cochrane. “The jump in Samoan population size might also be related to archaeologically documented changes in agriculture, as well as an increasing number of monumental mound structures, both of which might signify hierarchical society. We could be seeing the origins of the Samoan chiefly system 1,000 years ago.”

For the last several decades, the origins of the Polynesians has been understood as story of a singular migration and common cultural and demographic changes throughout the islands.

Associate Professor Ethan CochraneFaculty of Arts

He says the study also found that modern Samoans come largely from the Austronesian lineage (people in Taiwan, Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar) and share only 24 percent of their ancestry with Papuans, the descendants of the people who settled Papua/New Guinea.

This is markedly lower than neighbouring Polynesian groups which on average, share about 35 percent Papuan ancestry. The unique mixture of Austronesian and Papuan ancestry in Samoans is possibly related to the initial settlement of the islands and suggests that groups with somewhat different ancestry settled Samoa, compared to nearby Tonga, Dr Cochrane says.

“For the last several decades, the origins of the Polynesians has been understood as story of a singular migration and common cultural and demographic changes throughout the islands.

"But what we are learning now from this study, and others like it, is that there may have been different migrations with different mixes of people and unique demographic histories that have contributed to modern cultural, biological and linguistic diversity in the Pacific.”

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2020/04/15/dna-offers-clues-to-ancient-samoan-settlement-and-unique-ancestr.html

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Germinator
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He says the study also found that modern Samoans come largely from the Austronesian lineage (people in Taiwan, Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar) and share only 24 percent of their ancestry with Papuans, the descendants of the people who settled Papua/New Guinea.

 

 

 

 

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Rick Cool
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@germinator

how much Austronesian DNA do Samoans have on average?

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Germinator
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@j-r-c

Let me research first 

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Prau123 avatar
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The IBD analyses also suggested a marked jump in the Samoan population size about 1,000 years ago, up to as many as 10,000 people, 

 

 

 

Trade and Agricultural farming allowed their population to increase tremendously.  Samoan population was as high as 10,000 people a thousand years ago is quite remarkable considering how small their islands are in the South Pacific. 

 

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Bacano G
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I consider the Pacific Islanders my very distant relatives

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Germinator
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@jose

can Samoans pass as Hispanic? 

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Bacano G
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@germinator

Hispanic isn't race but I think Samoans look like a oversized Asians. We can tell them apart easily, but I can say that some of the pacific islanders can pass in Latin America. 

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Germinator
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@jose

I don't think Samoans looked like us in general but they do have Austronesian like appearance. Some of them do looked like a 6'5 Filipinos but most of them have their down unique look. 

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Qamzardaan
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@jose

Would you say Samoans can look like Hispanics more than Pinoys can?

And if they can pass in Latin America, its the Indomestizo or Zambo types they can pass as?

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@qamzardaan

 

Some pure Filipinos can look like a Samoan but it's not common. 

 

In Latin America, I've seen some Mexican Mestizos that were mistaken as Samoans. They are big and physically strong like a Polynesian.

 

Some of the Zambo with West African ancestry can pass.

 

 

 

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Qamzardaan
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@prau123

Would you say Filipinos can resemble Samoan/other Polynesian or Hispanic/Natives more? Or equal levels to both groups?

Interesting. 

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@qamzardaan

 

It could go either way but I would say more like Hispanic/Natives because Filipinos in Philippines are not usually physically as big as Samoans/Polynesians.  

 

 

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Bacano G
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@qamzardaan

Pacific Islanders can pass as Hispanics like mulattos or as you mention Zambo. 

 

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Qamzardaan
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@jose

Don't Pacific Islanders have clear/visible Mongoloid features from their Austronesian/Taiwanese ancestors to pass as Mulattos or not really? Sorry for asking, but I hardly get to interact with one in real life. (I live in Asia that's why) 

Who would you say pass more as Hispanics?: Pacific Islanders or Pinoys?

I think Pacific Islanders for some reason pass easier because they can pass among the common Latino types while Filipinos, for the vast majority of the time, look too Asian. 

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Bacano G
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@qamzardaan

Pacific Islanders are Samoans, Hawaiians, Tongans, Polynesians cluster into one. There are a lot of them in the NFL, US army and the Wrestling world. If you watch these sports, then you would recognize Islanders very easily. 

 

 

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Qamzardaan
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@jose

How about Micronesians or Melanesians: they are also part of Pacific Islanders? I think Melanesians are rare in the US compared to Polys or Micros?

The thing is I don't really watch or follow sports so I'm not used to their phenotypes lol. I have met some Polys in NZ though but they tend to be Maori (I might have seen some Tongans/Samoans as well but I cannot tell them apart from Maori).

Anyway who would you say can pass easier as Hispanic: Pacific Islanders like Polys or Filipinos?

 

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Bacano G
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@qamzardaan

Polynesians are closer to us than Filipinos

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Bacano G
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@qamzardaan

I don't know what Taiwanese ancestors mean but I do know that Austronesians means Filipino looking. Yeah, Islanders do have Filipino features

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Qamzardaan
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@jose

Well Austronesians including the ancestors of Filipinos and Pacific Islanders originally come from Taiwan. The purest Austronesians are Taiwanese aborigines who still live on the island. 

Are these Samoans, Tongans or Hawaiians? 

@prau123: can these Polys pass as Filipino?

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Bacano G
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@qamzardaan

I don't know that

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sailorneptune
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I remembered my ex telling me he and his friends got into a brawl with Samoan people in high school, and all the Vietnamese guys were being tossed around like rag dolls. 

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Komodo Commander
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@sailorneptune

I remember you, your that girl who was mad at me for making a joke about the coronavirus. 

How are you? 

 

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sailorneptune
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@marneil

I am good. How are you?

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Komodo Commander
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@sailorneptune

I am here to tell you that I have family members who ended up in the hospital because of the coronavirus. When I first heard the news, your avatar picture pop in my head, then I imagine you laughing at me. 

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Germinator
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@sailorneptune

sounds like they were brawling with 6'5 300 pound men 

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