Papers by Lisa (Elizabeth) Matisoo-Smith
Annals of Human Genetics, 2015
Pacific populations have long been observed to suffer a high burden of metabolic disease, includi... more Pacific populations have long been observed to suffer a high burden of metabolic disease, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and gout. The 'Thrifty Genotype' hypothesis has frequently been used to explain this high prevalence of disease. Here, the 'Thrifty Genotype' hypothesis and the evolutionary background of Pacific populations are examined. We question its relevance not only in the Pacific region but more generally. Not only has the hypothesis not been explicitly tested, but most archaeological and anthropological data from the Pacific fundamentally do not support its application.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007
Two issues long debated among Pacific and American prehistorians are ( i ) whether there was a pr... more Two issues long debated among Pacific and American prehistorians are ( i ) whether there was a pre-Columbian introduction of chicken ( Gallus gallus ) to the Americas and ( ii ) whether Polynesian contact with South America might be identified archaeologically, through the recovery of remains of unquestionable Polynesian origen. We present a radiocarbon date and an ancient DNA sequence from a single chicken bone recovered from the archaeological site of El Arenal-1, on the Arauco Peninsula, Chile. These results not only provide firm evidence for the pre-Columbian introduction of chickens to the Americas, but strongly suggest that it was a Polynesian introduction.
Journal of Human Evolution, 2015
The Pacific region provides unique opportunities to study human evolution including through analy... more The Pacific region provides unique opportunities to study human evolution including through analyses of ancient DNA. While some of the earliest studies involving ancient DNA from skeletal remains focused on Pacific samples, in the following 25 years, several factors meant that little aDNA research, particularly research focused on human populations, has emerged. This paper briefly presents the genetic evidence for population origens, reviews what ancient DNA work has been undertaken to address human history and evolution in the Pacific region, and argues that the future is bright but research requires a collaborative approach between academic disciplines but also with local communities.
The Pacific region provides unique opportunities to study human evolution including through analy... more The Pacific region provides unique opportunities to study human evolution including through analyses of ancient DNA. While some of the earliest studies involving ancient DNA from skeletal remains focused on Pacific samples, in the following 25 years, several factors meant that little aDNA research, particularly research focused on human populations, has emerged. This paper briefly presents the genetic evidence for population origens, reviews what ancient DNA work has been undertaken to address human history and evolution in the Pacific region, and argues that the future is bright but research requires a collaborative approach between academic disciplines but also with local communities.
ABSTRACT AbstrAct In 2007 the discovery of pre-Columbian chicken bones from Chile provided the fi... more ABSTRACT AbstrAct In 2007 the discovery of pre-Columbian chicken bones from Chile provided the first conclusive evidence for prehistoric Polynesian contact with South America. When looking for further commensal data to address the issue of trans-Pacific contacts, we found a museum collection of human remains recovered from Mocha Island, a small island located ap-proximately 30 km off the Chilean coast. The morphology of the crania suggests they may be of Polynesian ancestry. Here we present craniometric analyses for the six complete crania from Mocha Island, Chile and discuss the implica-tions for further research into prehistoric trans-Pacific interaction.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2014
Extinctions can dramatically reshape biological communities. As a case in point, ancient mass ext... more Extinctions can dramatically reshape biological communities. As a case in point, ancient mass extinction events apparently facilitated dramatic new evolutionary radiations of surviving lineages. However, scientists have yet to fully understand the consequences of more recent biological upheaval, such as the megafaunal extinctions that occurred globally over the past 50 kyr. New Zealand was the world's last large landmass to be colonized by humans, and its exceptional archaeological record documents a vast number of vertebrate extinctions in the immediate aftermath of Polynesian arrival approximately AD 1280. This recently colonized archipelago thus presents an outstanding opportunity to test for rapid biological responses to extinction. Here, we use ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis to show that extinction of an endemic sea lion lineage ( Phocarctos spp.) apparently facilitated a subsequent northward range expansion of a previously subantarctic-limited lineage. This finding parallels ...
PLoS Genetics, 2013
The Levant is a region in the Near East with an impressive record of continuous human existence a... more The Levant is a region in the Near East with an impressive record of continuous human existence and major cultural developments since the Paleolithic period. Genetic and archeological studies present solid evidence placing the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula as the first stepping-stone outside Africa. There is, however, little understanding of demographic changes in the Middle East, particularly the Levant, after the first Out-of-Africa expansion and how the Levantine peoples relate genetically to each other and to their neighbors. In this study we analyze more than 500,000 genome-wide SNPs in 1,341 new samples from the Levant and compare them to samples from 48 populations worldwide. Our results show recent genetic stratifications in the Levant are driven by the religious affiliations of the populations within the region. Cultural changes within the last two millennia appear to have facilitated/maintained admixture between culturally similar populations from the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, and Africa. The same cultural changes seem to have resulted in genetic isolation of other groups by limiting admixture with culturally different neighboring populations. Consequently, Levant populations today fall into two main groups: one sharing more genetic characteristics with modern-day Europeans and Central Asians, and the other with closer genetic affinities to other Middle Easterners and Africans. Finally, we identify a putative Levantine ancestral component that diverged from other Middle Easterners ,23,700-15,500 years ago during the last glacial period, and diverged from Europeans ,15,900-9,100 years ago between the last glacial warming and the start of the Neolithic.
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2009
... the Pacific which not only allows for a better understanding of many issues in Pacific ... of... more ... the Pacific which not only allows for a better understanding of many issues in Pacific ... of our studies, allowing us to address the question about the ultimate origens of Pacific ... three different haplogroups indicate differ-ent spheres of human interaction and associ-ated rat dispersal. ...
The American journal of clinical …, 2002
Background: Understanding what motivates the preference for and selection of foods has important ... more Background: Understanding what motivates the preference for and selection of foods has important health implications. Research suggests that the phytochemicals present in green leafy vegetables contain anticarcinogenic properties. As a result of the bitter taste of phytochemical compounds, however, foods containing these are often not well accepted, particularly by children. Objective: We aimed to study the relation between sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiocuracil (PROP) and acceptance of bitter-and strong-tasting foods in 3-6-y-old children. Design: Two independent procedures, a threshold detection and a suprathreshold intensity task, were used to measure individual sensitivity to PROP, and 3 independent tasks were used to assess food acceptance. Results: Sensitivity to the bitter taste of PROP was positively correlated with dislike of the taste of raw spinach (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The acceptance of spinach may to some extent be mediated by individual taste perception and be predictable via both threshold and suprathreshold measures of PROP taste sensitivity. Furthermore, children as young as 3 y of age can partake in direct investigations of taste, reliably comply with test procedures, and accurately communicate taste perceptions and preferences under study conditions.
Molecular Ecology …, 2007
In recent years, research has shown that geographical variation in mitochondrial DNA of commensal... more In recent years, research has shown that geographical variation in mitochondrial DNA of commensal rats provides a strong signal of human dispersal and migration. However, interpretation of genetic variation is complicated by the presence of multiple species of Rattus especially in Island ...
Genes, language and culture history in the …, 2007
... the assumed Lapita connection, they were thought to be in such old layers because of ... form... more ... the assumed Lapita connection, they were thought to be in such old layers because of ... formerly associated strictly with a Lapita intrusion are present in Near Oceania prior to ... with introduced (ie Island Southeast Asian) characteristics and the develop-ment of new innovations. ...
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2009
... the Pacific which not only allows for a better understanding of many issues in Pacific ... of... more ... the Pacific which not only allows for a better understanding of many issues in Pacific ... of our studies, allowing us to address the question about the ultimate origens of Pacific ... three different haplogroups indicate differ-ent spheres of human interaction and associ-ated rat dispersal. ...
David Penny tribute, 2009
... Storey, AA, Quiroz, D.; Ramirez, JM; Beavan-Athfield, N.; Addison, DJ; Walter, R.; Hunt, TL; ... more ... Storey, AA, Quiroz, D.; Ramirez, JM; Beavan-Athfield, N.; Addison, DJ; Walter, R.; Hunt, TL; Athens, JS; Huynen, L.; Matisoo-Smith, E. 2008. Pre-Columbian chickens, dates, isotopes and mtDNA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences doi/10.1073/pnas. 0807625105.
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Papers by Lisa (Elizabeth) Matisoo-Smith
the recovery of remains of unquestionable Polynesian origen. We present a radiocarbon date and an ancient DNA sequence from a single chicken bone recovered from the archaeological site of El Arenal-1, on the Arauco Peninsula, Chile. These results not only provide firm evidence for the pre-Columbian introduction of chickens to the Americas, but strongly suggest that it was a Polynesian introduction.