Adaptive Radiation of Human Populations in Oceania

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Biological diversity of human populations in Oceania was reviewed from a standpoint of adaptive radiation. The major findings are as follows.1. The examination of the long-term change of morphological traits has demonstrated that non-Austronesian and Austronesian groups, which were classified linguistically and culturally, have had their own characteristics. Simultaneously, however, most characteristics of each group have changed in accordance with adaptive system in local environments in the last several decades.2. The extent of diversity in adult body physique and child growth among human populations in Oceania has been revealed to be similar as that among all populations in the world. The most probable reason for this comes from adaptive process in local environments, for instance, nutritional adaptation.3. Subsistence strategies among contemporary populations are largely conditioned by the timing and the extent of the contact with foreign culture ; as the result, protein intake level, in particular, greatly differs from a population to another.4. The previous food composition tables applied to Oceania have been criticized and we have re-evaluated nutrient intakes for human populations in Oceania, based on our newly-made table.5. The review of prevalence rates of various diseases in Oceania, particularly in Melanesia, has proved that the bulk of them have had high levels only after the contact. The spatiotemporal pattern of newly-introduced diseases has influenced human adaptation in the area as a key factor.6. It has been demonstrated that the population increase rate in Melanesia as a whole before the contact has kept a level, 0.2% per year, similar to that in the Neolithic. The increase rate which, since then, has been diversified among the populations has mainly come from such environmental factors as nutrition and health.