Papua Populations Research Articles

Genetic Diversity and Differentiation of Sand Crab (Albunea symmysta) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Hippoidea) from Java and Papua, Indonesia

In Indonesia, the sand crab Albunea symmysta distribution includes Java, Sumatra, and Moluccas. Populations are assumed to be differentiated between western and eastern Indonesia due to the Wallace line; however, no information on the genetic diversity and differentiation of A. symmysta in Indonesia is available. This study was conducted to clarify the genetic diversity and differentiation of A. symmysta in Indonesia. During the sampling campaign, A. symmysta specimens were found only in Java and Papua. Genetic analysis based on the 643-bp fragment of the partial COI gene from 32 individuals revealed significant genetic differentiation between the Java and Papua populations (FST = 0.94, p < 0.005). The haplotype connectivity of the five A. symmysta sampling sites revealed a two-clade network. Based on analysis of molecular variance, most of the variation was found among populations (94.21%) rather than within populations (5.79%). Tajima's D and Fu's FS values indicated a population expansion. Overall, the findings support a high level of differentiation between the Java and Papua A. symmysta populations, suggesting the separation of population stocks due to low connectivity.

Analysis of the Agricultural Potential of Papua Province

Papua is one of the provinces in Indonesia that has enormous agricultural potential because it has very large areas of land. Most of Papua's population works in agriculture. Even though the agricultural sector is still the basis of hope for the majority of the population, its contribution to GRDP is less than 25 percent. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out an analysis to determine the agricultural potential that exists in each regency/city in Papua Province and the basis and non-basis agricultural sectors that exist in each regency/city in Papua Province. The analytical methods used in this research are Shift-Share and Location Quotient. The results of the Shift-Share analysis, seen from the total value (Shift Share) of the Agricultural sector in all Regencies/Cities in Papua Province, is positive, which means that the growth of the sector is progressive and has the potential to be developed. Based on the results of the LQ analysis, there are 27 regencies included in the basis sector, which means these regencies have a surplus in their agricultural sector and meet the needs of their region and other regions. Besides, Mimika Regency and Jayapura City are included in the non-base sector.

Analysis of Family Fingerprint Patterns in Java and Papua Population

Fingerprints can be said to be a unique characteristic or unique entity for every human being, with a striped pattern on the tips of the toes of the feet and hands. The fingerprint pattern that becomes this entity does not just appear; it is passed down through genes that are passed from parents to children. At this moment in time, this entity can be used in many fields; one example is as an indication of a disease. The aim of this research is to know the pattern of fingerprints inherited from parents to children, which has expanded with the identification of disease indications. Samples from this study were taken from families consisting of fathers, mothers, and children in several cities on the islands of Java and Papua to further examine the typical patterns that exist in these populations.

Genetic diversity of wedgefishes and guitarfishes at landing sites in east Indonesia using Cytochrome Subunit I (COI)

Abstract. Tapilatu ME, Wijayanti DP, Subagiyo, Sembiring A, Yusmalinda NLA, NIngsih EY, Malik MDA, Pertiwi NPD. 2023. Genetic diversity of wedgefishes and guitarfishes at landing sites in east Indonesia using Cytochrome Subunit I (COI). Biodiversitas 24: 3120-3127. Wedgefish and guitarfish are considered endangered and protected by law in Indonesia due to pressure from overexploitation. They are highly exploited because of their economic value. This condition impacts the decline in the number of populations to the value of genetic diversity. This study used mitochondrial DNA to assess the genetic diversity of wedgefishes and guitarfishes which landed in the eastern part of Indonesia. We found Rhynchobatus australiae (Whitley, 1939) to be the most common species (14 out of 26 sequenced samples), with Glaucostegus typus (Bennett, 1830) and Rhinobatos jimbaranensis (Last, White, & Fahmi, 2006) appearing infrequently. COI sequences were obtained from the NCBI database and utilized in the study to compare population differentiation. Among the R. australiae populations, the results showed that the genetic diversity (Hd) values from Papua, Bali, and Lombok were 1.00, 0.67, and 0.75, respectively. In Papua, G.typus populations showed genetic diversity values of 0.90. R. jimbaranensis from Bali showed a genetic diversity of 0.50. Papua populations indicated higher genetic diversity than Bali and Lombok populations. Furthermore, the analyses of pairwise FST values and AMOVA indicated moderate genetic divergence across reference populations of R. australiae and G. typus in this study. Based on this value, a cautious conservation strategy in optimizing fisheries management will be required to limit anthropogenic impacts.

Variation of Proconvertase 1 and Resistin Gene as Risk Factor for Type II Diabetes Mellitus in Obesity Papua Population

Introduction: Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) include obesity and some genetic factors. Obesity involves mild chronic inflammation that predisposes cells to insulin resistance. Two genes that influence obesity and insulin resistance are Proconvertase-1 (PC-1) and resistin (RETN). PC-1 affects the activation of hormones that regulate satiety and hunger. Resistin is one of the inflammatory factors that influence the occurrence of insulin resistance. This study aimed to determine the influence of polymorphism in the PC-1 gene rs1044498 (C>A) and resistin gene RETN + 299 G>A rs3745367 on the risk of diabetes in obese Papua population. Methods: This study involved 58 obese people with T2DM and 58 obese people without DM. We examined the characteristics of blood pressure, lipid profile and insulin resistance by HOMA-IR. The genes examined were PC-1 rs1044498 (C>A) and RETN+ 299 G>A rs3745367 by the PCR-RFLP method. The relationship of gene variations with biochemical parameters was determined with analysis of variance. The results were considered significantly different if P < 0.05. Results: In this study, parameters of diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides and insulin resistance were higher while high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were lower and significantly different in the obese with T2DM group compared to the obese only group. The carrier of the A allele in the PC-1 gene rs1044498 was higher in the obese group than the obese with T2DM but not significantly different in biochemical parameters. Carrier of the AA genotype in the RETN gene + 299 G>A rs3745367 had higher triglycerides and HOMA-IR and lower HDL levels significantly different (P<0.05) than other genotypes in the obesity with T2DM group. Conclusion: PC-1 rs1044498 gene was a risk factor for obesity but not for T2DM, while RETN gene rs3745367 was a risk factor for dyslipidemia and diabetes in obese people in the Papua population.

Multidimensional Poverty: Identification of Deprivation Characteristics of Papua's Population Poverty in 2020

Papua is a growing province with rich potential yet has the highest rate of poverty and lowest rank of HDI in Indonesia. As poverty has been measured limited on monetary alone, anti-poverty programs and policies have become limited. Although the first goal of the SDGs clearly states that poverty is a multidimensional problem. Thus, measuring multidimensional poverty in Papua is needed. This study uses a multidimensional poverty formulation (MPI) with the 2019 Seychelles framework compiled by OPHI and the Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics in four dimensions: Decent Living Standards, Health, Education, and Employment. Considering data availability, not all indicators are available in the March 2020 SUSENAS data, so a four-dimensional approach in 13 indicators is carried out to calculate multidimensional poverty in Papua.As a result, the percentage of Papuans who experienced multidimensional poverty (H) was 71.2 percent, with the intensity (A) as 47.3 percent. The results show 0.337 points in MPI (M0), meaning that the average deprivation experienced by all residents in Papua Province is 33.7 percent of the 13 indicators from MPI. The dimensions with the most significant contribution are health (0.301), then employment (0.266), education (0.258), and a decent standard of living (0.175). Based on area classification, there is an imbalance between the contribution of multidimensional poverty at urban and rural levels with 0.220 and 0.780.This study found that Papuans experienced multidimensional poverty, the most deprived in the health dimension and indicators of school completion at least SMA or equivalent.

Validation study of HLA-B*13:01 as a biomarker of dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome in leprosy patients in Indonesia.

Leprosy is a stigmatizing, chronic infection which degenerates the nervous system and often leads to incapacitation. Multi-drug therapy which consists of dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine has been effective to combat this disease. In Indonesia, especially in Papua Island, leprosy is still a problem. Furthermore, there had been higher reports of Dapsone Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DHS) which also challenges leprosy elimination in certain aspects. Globally, DHS has a prevalence rate of 1.4% and a fatality rate up to 13%. The aim of this study is to validate HLA-B*13:01, a previously discovered biomarker for DHS in the Chinese population, as a biomarker for DHS in the Papua population.This is a case-control study of 34 leprosy patients who presented themselves with DHS (case subjects) and 52 leprosy patients without DHS (control subjects). Patients were recruited from 2 provinces: Papua and West Papua. DNA was extracted from 3 ml blood specimens. HLA-B alleles were typed using the gold-standard sequence based typing method. Results were then analysed using logistic regression and risk assessment was carried out. The results of HLA-typing showed that HLA-B*13:01 was the most significant allele associated with DHS, with odds ratio = 233.64 and P-value = 7.11×10-9, confirming the strong association of HLA-B*13:01 to DHS in the Papua population. The sensitivity of this biomarker is 91.2% and specificity is 96.2%, with an area under the curve of 0.95. HLA-B*13:01 is validated as a biomarker for DHS in leprosy patients in Papua, Indonesia, and can potentially be a good predictor of DHS to help prevent this condition in the future.

Recognizing peripheral ecosystems in marine protected areas: A case study of golden jellyfish lakes in Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Peripheral marine ecosystems can harbor endemic diversity and attract tourism attention, yet are generally not included in conservation management plans due to their remoteness or inland positioning. A case study in Raja Ampat of seven landlocked marine lakes containing golden jellyfish (Mastigias spp.) was conducted to address the lack of fundamental insights into evolutionary, ecological and social contexts of these ecosystems. An interdisciplinary approach was taken towards identifying the jellyfish lakes as distinct management units in order to incorporate them into existing Marine Protected Areas. Mastigias papua populations showed strong genetic (ϕST: 0.30–0.86) and morphological (F = 28.62, p-value = 0.001) structure among lakes, with putative new subspecies. Risks arising from rapid increase in tourism to Raja Ampat (30-fold since 2007) warrant restrictions on jellyfish lake use. Recommendations are provided for adaptive management and science-based conservation policies for jellyfish lakes across Indonesia.

Age, growth and maturity of the Australian sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon taylori from the Gulf of Papua

Coastal sharks with small body sizes may be among the most productive species of chondrichthyans. The Australian sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon taylori) is one of the most productive members of this group based on work in northern and eastern Australia. However, life history information throughout the remainder of its range is lacking. To address this knowledge gap, the age, growth and maturity of R. taylori caught in the Gulf of Papua prawn trawl fishery in Papua New Guinea, were studied. One hundred and eighty six individuals, comprising 131 females (31–66 cm TL) and 55 males (31–53 cm TL) were aged using vertebral analysis and growth was modelled using a multi-model approach. The lack of small individuals close to the size at birth made fitting of growth curves more difficult, two methods (fixed length at birth and additional zero aged individuals) accounting for this were trialled. The von Bertalanffy growth model provided the best fit to the data when used with a fixed length-at-birth (L0 = 26 cm TL). Males (L∞ = 46 cm TL, k = 3.69 yr-1, L50 = 41.7 cm TL and A50 = 0.5 years) grew at a faster rate and matured at smaller sizes and younger ages than females (L∞ = 58 cm TL, k = 1.98 yr-1, L5o = 47.0 cm TL and A50 = 0.93 years). However, none of the methods to account for the lack of small individuals fully accounted for this phenomenon, and hence the results remain uncertain. Despite this, the results reaffirm the rapid growth of this species and suggest that the Gulf of Papua population may grow at a faster rate than Australian populations. Rhizoprionodon taylori is possibly well placed to withstand current fishing pressure despite being a common bycatch species in the Gulf of Papua prawn trawl fishery. However, further research needs to be undertaken to estimate other key life history parameters to fully assess the population status of this exploited shark species and its vulnerability to fishing in the Gulf of Papua.

Unravelling the effects of gene flow and selection in highly connected populations of the silver-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima)

Many marine organisms often display weak levels of population genetic structuring as a result of both environmental characteristics (e.g., ocean currents) and life history traits (e.g., widely dispersed planktonic larval stages) maintaining high levels of gene flow. This can lead to the assumption that these organisms can be managed as a single stock based on high levels of population connectivity. However, this neglects to account for other micro-evolutionary forces such as selection, which also shape these populations. This study utilizes 1130 genome-wide SNP loci to unravel the effects of gene flow and selection shaping three highly connected populations of the silver-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) in the ecologically and economically important Indo-Pacific region (Aru, Bali, and West Papua). Twenty-two loci under directional selection were identified amongst the populations, providing further supporting evidence of strong local adaptation (i.e., G×E effects) among populations in this region. Global Fst values for directional outliers (0.348) were up to eight times greater than for neutral markers (0.043). Pairwise Fst comparisons between Aru and Bali revealed the largest directional differences (0.488), while Bali and West Papua had the least (0.062). Unrooted neighbour-joining (NJ) distance trees and genetic diversity indices of directional outliers revealed that individuals from Bali and West Papua had reduced allelic variation (MAFavg=0.144, Ho=0.238 and MAFavg=0.232, Ho=0.369, respectively) compared to Aru (MAFavg=0.292, Ho=0.412). This indicates that directional selection is most likely acting upon genetic variation within the Bali and West Papua populations. NJ distance trees, discriminant analysis of principal components, and Fst analyses of directional outliers revealed two divergent groups (“Bali/West Papua”; “Aru”) that had previously gone unrecognized. This study not only illustrates that relatively strong local adaptive forces are occurring despite high gene flow, but identifies the populations that are most likely experiencing selection. Additionally, this study highlights the need to understand all micro-evolutionary forces acting on populations when resolving stock structure.

Climate as a driver of population variability in breeding Gentoo Penguins Pygoscelis papua at the Falkland Islands

Detecting and predicting how populations respond to environmental variability are eminent challenges in conservation research and management. This is particularly true for wildlife populations at high latitudes, many of which demonstrate changes in population dynamics associated with global warming. The Falkland Islands (Southwest Atlantic) hold one of the largest Gentoo Penguin Pygoscelis papua populations in the world, representing c. 34% of the global population. The numbers of breeding Gentoo Penguins at the Falkland Islands have shown a high degree of inter‐annual variability since monitoring commenced in 1990. However, proximate causes of annual variability in breeding numbers have not been explored. Here we examine 21 years of Gentoo Penguin breeding surveys from the Falkland Islands and assess whether inter‐annual variability in the number of breeding pairs were correlated with proxies of environmental variability. There was a positive correlation between the number of breeding pairs and a broad‐scale climatic variation index, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). In turn, the SOI was significantly correlated with spring sea surface temperature anomalies, indicating a more immediate atmospherically forced response to El Niño Southern Oscillation variability in the Southwest Atlantic than previously reported. However, we also describe a non‐linear response to environmental variability that may highlight foraging plasticity and/or the complexity of regional ecosystem interactions that operate across a range of different scales.

'Geschiedenis is nu eenmaal altijd politiek.' De studie-Drooglever als symptoom van de moeizame omgang van Nederland met het koloniaal verleden en de complexe relatie met Indonesië. Discussie over Een daad van vrije keuze

‘History is by definition political’. The Drooglever study as a symptom of the uneasy relationship the Netherlands has with its colonial past and its complex relationship with IndonesiaIn December 1999, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, J.J. van Aartsen, complied with a request from parliament for an historical study into the referendum held in 1969 among the Papua population in the former Dutch New Guinea. The outcome of this ‘Act of Free Choice’ was manipulated and resulted in the territory becoming a permanent part of Indonesia, which is what Indonesia had coveted all along. The decision to carry out the study angered the Indonesian government and resulted in a deterioration of the already fragile bilateral relations between both countries. When Drooglever’s findings were published the Balkenende II (2003-2006) cabinet was confronted with a dilemma: how could it do justice to the study carried out by the historian P. J. Drooglever on the one hand, yet try to repair the political damage to its relations with Indonesia on the other. In the context of the complex Dutch-Indonesian relationship in general this article not only deals with Van Aartsen’s motives for accepting this controversial research, but also explains why Indonesia reacted as it did and outlines how the Balkenende government tried to deal with this thorny issue. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Een daad van vrije keuze' (P.J. Drooglever).

Hemoglobins, Haptoglobins, and Transferrins in Man

lapped. The distribution of genes within a population, and the differences in the frequency of their alleles which characterize one population and distinguish it from another, need not be considered trivial if selection plays a part in determining them. A search for additional loci as aids in classification may be sterile and boring; but a quest for the sources of human variation and the analysis of the interactions of genetic and ecological factors stimulates continuing interest. Recently accumulated evidence indicates that some, and perhaps most, aspects of polymorphism in man are adaptive and that cultural factors are commonly involved in the process of adaptation. By their joint efforts cultural and physical anthropologists are in a position to contribute to a deeper understanding of those factors which have made us what we are today. Such collaboration is dependent upon the degree of communication established between scholars in these two facets of anthropology. The student of human biology needs to hear frequently about recent advances in the analysis of culture, and especially of cultural practices which affect the genetic structure or phenotypic appearance of different populations. In return, new developments in human biology should be brought to the attention of anthropologists in general. Significant among such advances is the understanding of the structure, function, and inheritance of various protein fractions of the blood. A number of these are inherited in simple Mendelian manner and thus lend themselves readily to genetic analysis. As they occur in varying frequencies among different human populations, they can, like the blood types, suggest the degree of ancestral relationships between them. Like the blood types, too, their variety demonstrates the widespread extent and probable utility of balanced polymorphism in the human species. In 1949 when Neel established the genetic mechanism for sickle cell trait and sickle cell anemia and Pauling et al. (1949) demonstrated the electrophoretic difference between normal and sickle cell hemoglobin, doors were opened to unique research opportunities in genetics, biophysics, biochemistry, medicine, and anthropology. The past dozen years have witnessed vast strides in the understanding of the structure of the hemoglobin molecule, the strategy of the gene in producing its end product in the individual, and the ebb and flow of genes in the course of human history.

Absence of abnormal haemoglobins in some groups of the papua population of Dutch New Guinea.

Absence of Abnormal Haemoglobins in Some Groups of the Papua Population of Dutch New Guinea