The prehistoric peopling of Southeast Asia

Journal article

The human occupation history of Southeast Asia (SEA) remains heavily debated. Current evidence suggests that SEA was occupied by Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers until ~4000 years ago, when farming economies developed and expanded, restricting foraging groups to remote habitats. Some argue that agricultural development was indigenous; others favor the “two-layer” hypothesis that posits a southward expansion of farmers giving rise to present-day Southeast Asian genetic diversity. By sequencing 26 ancient human genomes (25 from SEA, 1 Japanese Jōmon), we show that neither interpretation fits the complexity of Southeast Asian history: Both Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherers and East Asian farmers contributed to current Southeast Asian diversity, with further migrations affecting island SEA and Vietnam. Our results help resolve one of the long-standing controversies in Southeast Asian prehistory.

Authors: McColl, H; Racimo, F; Vinner, L; Demeter, F; Gakuhari, T

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Journal: Science
• Volume: 361
• Issue: 6397
• Pages: 88-92
• Publication date: 2018-07-06
• Acceptance date: 2018-05-30
• DOI: 0036-8075
• EISSN: 10.1126/science.aat3628
• ISSN: 0036-8075