Melanesia
Various genetic studies of the Pacific people in combination with earlier archaeological evidence have now clarified much of the confusion. The Melanesian people have a Y chromosome marker, H17, that is not found in Polynesians. Lapita pottery is Melanesian in origin, and can be found on islands since occupied by other people. Also, social status is generally based upon social skills and personal assets, whereas Polynesians use heredity to determine social status. Melanesians are considered the oldest of the Pacific people. They, like the Australian Aborigines, with whom Papuan Melanesians share a common ancestry, arrived some thousands of years BC.
The following islands and groups of islands are traditionally considered part of Melanesia:
Islands of mixed ancestry which do not claim Melanesian status include:Further reading
- New Guinea: Crossing Boundaries and History - a general history of New Guinea
External links
- Map South Pacific
- South Pacific Organizer
- Polynesian origins: Insights from the Y chromosome
- Independent Histories of Human Y Chromosomes from Melanesia and Australia
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