Aboriginal mitogenomes reveal 50,000 years of regionalism in Australia

Ray Tobler, Adam Rohrlach, Julien Soubrier, Pere Bover, Bastien Llamas, Jonathan Tuke, Nigel Bean, Ali Abdullah-Highfold, Shane Agius, Amy O’Donoghue, Isabel O’Loughlin, Peter Sutton, Fran Zilio, Keryn Walshe, Alan N. Williams, Chris S. M. Turney, Matthew Williams, Stephen M. Richards, Robert J. Mitchell, Emma Kowal, John R. Stephen, Lesley Williams, Wolfgang Haak and Alan Cooper ()
Additional contact information
Ray Tobler: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Adam Rohrlach: School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Julien Soubrier: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Pere Bover: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Bastien Llamas: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Jonathan Tuke: School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Nigel Bean: School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Ali Abdullah-Highfold: South Australian Museum
Shane Agius: South Australian Museum
Amy O’Donoghue: South Australian Museum
Isabel O’Loughlin: South Australian Museum
Peter Sutton: South Australian Museum
Fran Zilio: South Australian Museum
Keryn Walshe: South Australian Museum
Alan N. Williams: Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, and Climate Change Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
Chris S. M. Turney: Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, and Climate Change Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
Matthew Williams: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Stephen M. Richards: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Robert J. Mitchell: La Trobe University
Emma Kowal: Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University
John R. Stephen: Australian Genome Research Facility, The Waite Research Precinct
Lesley Williams: Community Elder and Cultural Advisor
Wolfgang Haak: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide
Alan Cooper: Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide

Nature, 2017, vol. 544, issue 7649, 180-184

Abstract: Abstract Aboriginal Australians represent one of the longest continuous cultural complexes known. Archaeological evidence indicates that Australia and New Guinea were initially settled approximately 50 thousand years ago (ka); however, little is known about the processes underlying the enormous linguistic and phenotypic diversity within Australia. Here we report 111 mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from historical Aboriginal Australian hair samples, whose origins enable us to reconstruct Australian phylogeographic history before European settlement. Marked geographic patterns and deep splits across the major mitochondrial haplogroups imply that the settlement of Australia comprised a single, rapid migration along the east and west coasts that reached southern Australia by 49–45 ka. After continent-wide colonization, strong regional patterns developed and these have survived despite substantial climatic and cultural change during the late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. Remarkably, we find evidence for the continuous presence of populations in discrete geographic areas dating back to around 50 ka, in agreement with the notable Aboriginal Australian cultural attachment to their country.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/nature21416

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