Maori origins, Y-chromosome haplotypes and implications for human history in the Pacific

An assessment of 28 pertinent binary genetic markers on the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome (NRY) in New Zealand Maori and other relevant populations has revealed a diverse genetic paternal heritage of extant Maor i, A maximum parsimony phylogeny was constructed in which nine of the 25 po ssible binary haplotypes were observed, Although similar to 40% of the samp les have haplotypes of unequivocal European origin, an equivalent number of samples have a single binary haplotype that is also observed in Indonesia and New Guinea, indicative of common indigenous Melanesian ancestry The bal ance of the lineages has either typical East Asian signatures or alternativ e compositions consistent with their affinity to Melanesia or New Guinea. M olecular analysis of mtDNA variation confirms the presence of a single pred ominant characteristic Southeast Asian (9-bp deletion in the Region V) line age. The Y-chromosome results support a pattern of complex interrelationshi ps between Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, in contrast to mtDNA a nd linguistic data, which uphold a rapid and homogeneous Austronesian expan sion. The Y-chromosome data highlight a distinctive gender modulated patter n of differential gene flow in the history of Polynesia. Hum Mutat 17:271-2 80, 2001. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.