Settlement and Interactions in Pacific Prehistory : An Overview of Modern Genetic Research

Sammanfattning: The Pacific is the part of the world that was last settled by humans. The colonization occurred in different stages which can be discerned through various methods, one of them DNA analysis of humans as well as other species of animals and plants associated with human settlement. The direction of human migration is traditionally believed to have taken a west-eastern direction, originating in the area near Taiwan and spreading eastward until reaching the islands of Remote Oceania. However, there are also strong indications of an east-western route of interaction, with recent DNA studies confirming prehistoric human contact between South American and Polynesian peoples. The aim of this paper is to investigate the current research on human settlement of the Pacific focusing on the genetic analyses of humans as well as animals and plants believed to have accompanied the human settlers. It is to be hoped that this research survey will shed new light on the subject of geographical origins of Pacific migration and the early interactions and settlement patterns that ensued.