Prehistoric Mobility in Polynesia: MtDNA Variation in Rattus exulans from the Chatham and Kermadec Islands

نویسندگان

  • ELIZABETH MATISOO-SMITH
  • JOHN S. ALLEN
چکیده

Irwin (1992) has suggested that island accessibility in the Pacific, in terms oflatitudeand safety of return voyaging, for example, affects their degree of contact with otherislands and their role in Pacific prehistory. We present results of mtDNA variationin both ancient and modern populations of the Pacific Rat (Rattus exulans), an ani-mal that was transported by humans as they settled the Pacific islands. We argue thatthe varying levels of genetic diversity in R. exulans populations on Pacific islandswill to some degree reflect the level of prehistoric human contact with those islands,and thus will be tied to island accessibility. A high level of mtDNA variation isreported for the Kermadec Island R. exulans populations, but there is marked lack ofvariation in Chatham Island rats. This is consistent with predictions based on therelative degrees of accessibility of the Kermadecs and the Chathams. High levelsmust be the result of either multiple introductions by humans or in situ evolutionover an extended time frame; however, lack of variation could conceivably be theresult of recent population crashes, and may therefore not be reflective oflow levelsof human mobility. Analysis of mtDNA from archaeological R. exulans samplesshows a direct link between ancient and modern populations on Chatham Island.This result (1) confirms relative prehistoric isolation of Chatham Island; (2) allowsfor rejection of the in situ evolution explanation for New Zealand and Kermadeclevels of variation; and (3) supports the use of Rattus exulans mtDNA variation asan assessment for accessibility and contact of prehistoric Pacific populations. KEY-WORDS: Rattus exulans, mtDNA, ancient DNA, prehistory, Polynesia.

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تاریخ انتشار 2010