Where River Meets Sea: A Parsimonious Model for Homo sapiens Colonization of the Indian Ocean Rim and Sahul.

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  • Author(s): Bulbeck, David1
  • Source:
    Current Anthropology. Apr2007, Vol. 48 Issue 2, p315-321. 7p. 1 Map.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      Human beings; Colonization; Mitochondrial DNA; Boats & boating; Portages; Estuaries
    • Subject Terms:
      Indian Ocean; New Guinea (Island); Australia
    • Abstract:
      The article studies a parsimonious model for Homo sapiens colonization of the Indian Ocean Rim and Sahul. The genetic study suggested an expansion along the tropical coastline of the Indian Ocean, between 75,000 and 60,000 years ago, of the population, which included the ancestors of all of the non-African human mitochondrial DNA lineages known in the modern society. The expansion would have involved the features of watercraft, portage of potable water, and adaptation to estuaries, in view of the arid sections along such coastal stretch, irregularly punctuated by resource-rich estuaries, and the crossings over open sea during the last leg to Australia or New Guinea.