Doctoral Dissertation Research: Genealogic and genetic history in an island population

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Stories of population history are passed down in both oral and written form and are also encoded in the genetic material passed down from generation to generation. This doctoral dissertation research project considers how population genetics and oral histories can be used together to elucidate the ancestry and migration history of an Indigenous community, while simultaneously exploring how the community’s own understanding of the past is preserved across generations. This project examines the prehistory of an island population through an analysis of their genetic diversity and migration history as well as an assessment of the inter-generational stories about their ancestry. The project builds on previous research into the prehistory of this area and involves community members in research planning, the recording of traditional stories, and the evaluation of the genetic data coming from the study. In addition, a local community member is trained in genetics to help foster a future generation of Indigenous scientists.This research project examines how Indigenous oral histories can guide genetic research through the formulation of research questions and the interpretation of genetic data. Undertaken with a descendant community consisting of individuals with genetic and cultural ancestry from the same island, information obtained from genomic sequencing is used to search for genetic variants in the descendant community. Any genetic variants found specifically in that community are then screened against populations from other island groups as well as Indigenous groups from other global regions to determine their potential source. The selection of comparative populations from other regions is, in part, guided by population oral histories and the current interpretation of those histories by members of the descendant community. The questions being explored through DNA evidence are undertaken at the direction of the descendant community, and all results from the genomic analysis are shared with community members as they become available.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.