Genetic history of Papua New Guinea peoples

Abstract

Human Genetics Papua New Guinea was likely a stepping stone for human migration from Asia to Australia. Bergstrom et al. analyzed genome-wide autosomal data from several peoples in Papua New Guinea and determined population structure, divergence, and temporal size changes on the island. A sharp genetic divide is evident between the highlands and lowlands that appears to have occurred 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, concurrent with the spread of crop cultivation and the trans-New Guinea language family. Science , this issue p. [1160][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aan3842