Residents of the South Pacific region originated from Vietnam?

Scientists from Durham University and Oxford University (UK) have studied the DNA of wild boar and hog pigs in the South Pacific and raised new hypotheses about the origin of South Pacific Islanders.

The previous hypothesis suggests that Polynesian and Oceanic cultures originated in Taiwan (China), and have since grown rapidly throughout the Pacific islands.

However, in the article in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the team, headed by Dr. Keith Dobney of Durham University's Department of Archeology He said he had studied the gene that was less modified by mitochondria on 781 pigs today and that the pig gene from ancient times was obtained from museums.

They said that because of the clear genetic link between pigs currently in Vietnam and pigs in Sumatra, Java, New Guinea, New Oceania, and many South Pacific islands, they think that most of the inhabitants live on the islands. This island originated from Vietnam and not Taiwan.

Dr. Greger Larson, the study's lead author, commented that pigs are good swimmers, but not to the extent that they can swim to Hawaii. As such, they must be transported by the migrants, and this is a great demonstration of human migration. According to him, the ancestors of residents on remote islands left Vietnam some 3,600 years ago, and they traveled through many islands before reaching the South Pacific islands. He hopes this research will open a new window on the origin of South Pacific residents.

New Guinea Islanders (Photo: Vtourist)

UA