2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Population Genetic Study of Indigenous Peoples of Wallacea
| Project/Area Number |
10041158
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 海外学術 |
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| Research Field |
人類学(含生理人類学)
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
HIRAI Momoki The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, Professor, 大学院・新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (60156635)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OMOTO Keiichi Momoyama Gakuin University, Department of Literature, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (10011503)
AKAO Nobuaki Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Department of Medicine, Lecturer, 医学部, 講師 (00126559)
MATSUMOTO Yoshitsugu The University of Tokyo, Graduate school of Agricultural, Associate Professor, 大学院・農学生命科学研究科, 助教授 (00173922)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1998 – 2000
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| Keywords | Wallacea / indigenous people / population genetics / parasite / Sulawesi Island |
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| Research Abstract |
Wallacea is a key area to elucidate the peopling of the Pacific. This area comprises the myriad islands and lies between Sundaland, the cradle of ancient Pacific stock, and Sahulland. The early inhabitants of Wallacea might have ancient connections, frequently overlaid with peoples who immigrated at later dates. There are indigenous peoples in Wallecea whose origins have been unknown. Different theories have been proposed, and many studies in various disciplines have attempted to shed light on the question of the complex origins of these peoples. We need to add substance to these arguments by studies of the genetic structure of the living populations of this area. It seems opportune to conduct Japan-Indonesia joint population genetic studies on the indigenous peoples in Wallacea to elucidate their origins. In the present study, interests are also focused on the search for genetic traits that may lead to adaptation to their environments with high prevalence of parasitic diseases.
In these three fiscal years, we have examined approximately 500 unrelated individuals who live in the research sites. To know the anthropological and population genetic characteristics of the indigenous peoples, we have conducted the following examinations: genetic markers, ovalocytosis and malaria infection, DNA plymorphisms, anthropological measurements (height, weight, span, cephalic index, etc.), somatological features, intestine parasites in feces. These three populations exhibit significantly different genetic features in terms of DNA polymorphisms. It is, therefore, interestint to analyze genetic relationships among the other indigenous populations in South East Asia.
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