Pacific people spread from Taiwan

ScienceDaily (2009-01-27) --

New research into language evolution suggests most Pacific populations originated in Taiwan around 5,200 years ago. Scientists at The University of Auckland have used sophisticated computer analyses on vocabulary from 400 Austronesian languages to uncover how the Pacific was settled.

"The Austronesian language family is one of the largest in the world, with 1200 languages spread across the Pacific," says Professor Russell Gray of the Department of Psychology.

"The settlement of the Pacific is one of the most remarkable prehistoric human population expansions. By studying the basic vocabulary from these languages, such as words for animals, simple verbs, colours and numbers, we can trace how these languages evolved. The relationships between these languages give us a detailed history of Pacific settlement."


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Americans arrived in separate migrations

ScienceDaily (2009-01-08)

The first people to arrive in America traveled as at least two separate groups to arrive in their new home at about the same time, according to new genetic evidence.

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African Exodus mostly men

ScienceDaily (2009-01-02) --

Modern humans left Africa over 60,000 years ago in a migration that many believe was responsible for nearly all of the human population that exist outside Africa today.


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