PLoS ONE 7(12): e52022. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052022
The Q2 Mitochondrial Haplogroup in Oceania
Chris A. Corser et al.
Many details surrounding the origins of the peoples of Oceania remain to be resolved, and as a step towards this we report seven new complete mitochondrial genomes from the Q2a haplogroup, from Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Kiribati. This brings the total to eleven Q2 genomes now available. The Q haplogroup (that includes Q2) is an old and diverse lineage in Near Oceania, and is reasonably common; within our sample set of 430, 97 are of the Q haplogroup. However, only 8 are Q2, and we report 7 here. The tree with all complete Q genomes is proven to be minimal. The dating estimate for the origin of Q2 (around 35 Kya) reinforces the understanding that humans have been in Near Oceania for tens of thousands of years; nevertheless the Polynesian maternal haplogroups remain distinctive. A major focus now, with regard to Polynesian ancestry, is to address the differences and timing of the ‘Melanesian’ contribution to the maternal and paternal lineages as people moved further and further into Remote Oceania. Input from other fields such as anthropology, history and linguistics is required for a better understanding and interpretation of the genetic data.
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2 comments:
"The dating estimate for the origin of Q2 (around 35 Kya) reinforces the understanding that humans have been in Near Oceania for tens of thousands of years; nevertheless the Polynesian maternal haplogroups remain distinctive".
Is that a surprise?
"A major focus now, with regard to Polynesian ancestry, is to address the differences and timing of the ‘Melanesian’ contribution to the maternal and paternal lineages as people moved further and further into Remote Oceania".
The only probalem that remains, as I see it, is whether these Q haplogroups moved east with the Y-DNA C2 and mt-DNA B4a haplogroups or followed along behind. To me the evidence is overwhelming, from fields such as anthropology, history and linguistics, for the latter. But we'll wait and see.
My MTDNA is Q2a, since my mother is Fijian. My Y-DNA though is R1a1 since my dad is Afghan.
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