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1.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed ; 20(1): 35, 2024 Mar 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38486237

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The intensification of production and socio-economic changes have accelerated the loss of local traditional knowledge and plant resources. Understanding the distribution and determinants of such biocultural diversity is essential in planning efficient surveys and conservation efforts. Because the concept of biocultural diversity in socio-ecological adaptive systems comprises biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity, linguistic information should serve as a surrogate for the distribution of local biological and cultural diversity. In this study, we spatio-linguistically evaluated the names of local trees and rice landraces recorded in Ehime Prefecture, southwestern Japan. METHODS: Hierarchical clustering was performed separately for the names of local trees and rice landraces. By considering innate flora differences and species having multiple local names, a novel distance index was adopted for local tree names. For the names of rice landraces, Jaccard distance was adopted. V-measure and factor detector analysis were used to evaluate the spatial association between the isogloss maps of the folk nomenclature derived from the clustering and multiple thematic maps. RESULTS: Local tree names showed stronger spatial association with geographical factors than rice landrace names. One folk nomenclature group of trees overlapped well with the slash-and-burn cultivation area, suggesting a link between the naming of trees and the traditional production system. In contrast, rice landraces exhibited stronger associations with folklore practices. Moreover, influences of road networks and pilgrimages on rice landraces indicated the importance of human mobility and traditional rituals on rice seed transfer. High homogeneity and low completeness in the V-measure analysis indicated that the names of local trees and rice landraces were mostly homogenous within current municipalities and were shared with a couple of adjacent municipalities. The isogloss maps help to illustrate how the biological and cultural diversity of wild trees and rice landraces are distributed. They also help to identify units for inter-municipal collaboration for effective conservation of traditional knowledge related to those plant resources and traditional rice varieties themselves. CONCLUSIONS: Our spatio-linguistic evaluation indicated that complex geographical and sociological processes influence the formation of plant folk nomenclature groups and implies a promising approach using quantitative lexico-statistical analysis to help to identify areas for biocultural diversity conservation.


Subject(s)
Oryza , Trees , Humans , Seeds , Cluster Analysis , Cultural Diversity
2.
Rev. bioét. (Impr.) ; 31: e3305PT, 2023. tab, graf
Article in English, Spanish, Portuguese | LILACS | ID: biblio-1529701

ABSTRACT

Resumen Los cambios políticos sucedidos en Bolivia en los últimos 50 años llevaron a modificaciones en la participación de grupos subalternizados y en la apreciación ética de la vida. Este estudio pretende establecer las conductas bioéticas de la cosmovisión andina en aculturados, endoculturados y transculturizados en La Paz, Bolivia. Se trata de una investigación mixta, exploratoria, etnográfica, transversal, comparativa sincrónica, diacrónica y sistemática, en la cual se aplicó un cuestionario validado por expertos (alfa de Cronbach de 0,932) a 399 personas (5,3% aculturadas; 73,9%, endoculturadas y 20,8%, transculturalizadas). Los resultados contrastados por hermenéutica obtuvieron cinco categorías, de las cuales la categoría relacionalidad era independiente a la culturación (p=0,262); mientras que las categorías conciencia ecológica, complementariedad, reciprocidad, concepto de salud, modelo social y comunitario dependían entre sí (p=0,000). Se constató que los sujetos aculturados del área rural presentaban mayor conocimiento de la ética ancestral. Se recomienda la promoción de políticas educativas relacionadas a ética.


Abstract The political changes that have taken place in Bolivia in the last fifty years have led to modifications in the participation of subalternized groups and changes in the ethical appreciation of life. This study aims to establish the bioethical behaviors of the Andean cosmovision in acculturated, endoculturated and transculturated people in La Paz, Bolivia. It is a mixed, exploratory, ethnographic, cross-sectional, comparative, synchronic, diachronic and systematic research, in which a questionnaire validated by experts (Cronbach's alpha 0.932) was applied to 399 people (5.3% acculturated; 73.9%, endoculturated and 20.8%, transculturated). The results contrasted by hermeneutics obtained five categories, of which the category relationality was independent of acculturation (p=0.262); while the categories ecological awareness, complementarity, reciprocity, concept of health, social model and community depended on each other (p=0.000). It was found that the acculturated subjects from the rural area presented greater knowledge of ancestral ethics. The promotion of educational policies related to ethics is recommended.


Resumo As mudanças políticas que ocorreram na Bolívia nos últimos 50 anos levaram a mudanças na participação de grupos subalternizados e na apreciação ética da vida. Este estudo tem como objetivo estabelecer os comportamentos bioéticos da cosmovisão andina em pessoas aculturadas, endoculturadas e transculturadas em La Paz, Bolívia. Trata-se de uma pesquisa mista, exploratória, etnográfica, transversal, comparativa, sincrônica, diacrônica e sistemática, na qual um questionário validado por especialistas (alfa de Cronbach de 0,932) foi aplicado a 399 pessoas (5,3% aculturadas, 73,9% endoculturadas e 20,8% transculturadas). Os resultados contrastados pela hermenêutica produziram cinco categorias, das quais a categoria relacionalidade era independente da aculturação (p=0,262), enquanto as categorias consciência ecológica, complementaridade, reciprocidade, conceito de saúde, modelo social e comunidade dependiam umas das outras (p=0,000). Constatou-se que os indivíduos aculturados de áreas rurais tinham maior conhecimento da ética ancestral. Recomenda-se a promoção de políticas educacionais relacionadas à ética.


Subject(s)
Bioethics , Culture , Cultural Diffusion
3.
Evol Hum Sci ; 4: e42, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37588939

ABSTRACT

Understanding global variation in democratic outcomes is critical to efforts to promote and sustain democracy today. Here, we use data on the democratic status of 221 modern and historical nations stretching back up to 200 years to show that, particularly over the last 50 years, nations with shared linguistic and, more recently, religious ancestry have more similar democratic outcomes. We also find evidence that for most of the last 50 years the democratic trajectory of a nation can be predicted by the democratic status of its linguistic and, less clearly, religious relatives, years and even decades earlier. These results are broadly consistent across three democracy indicators (Polity 5, Vanhanen's Index of Democracy, and Freedom in the World) and are not explained by geographical proximity or current shared language or religion. Our findings suggest that deep cultural ancestry remains an important force shaping the fortunes of modern nations, at least in part because democratic norms, institutions, and the factors that support them are more likely to diffuse between close cultural relatives.

4.
Article in Spanish | IBECS | ID: ibc-211455

ABSTRACT

La alimentación complementaria (AC) se define por la introducción de alimentos líquidos, semilíquidos o sólidos diferentes a la lactancia materna o leche de fórmula en el niño, para satisfacer las necesidades adecuadamente a partir de una determinada edad. La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) entre otras sociedades recomiendan la introducción de la AC a partir de los 6 meses de edad, siempre que sean seguros y adecuados nutricionalmente [Fragmento de texto] (AU)


Subject(s)
Humans , Infant , Primary Care Nursing , Maternal-Child Nursing , Infant Nutrition , Infant Food , Infant Formula , Cultural Characteristics , Video Recording , Spain
5.
Front Genet ; 12: 626710, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34194465

ABSTRACT

The ancestral origin and genomic history of Chinese Hui people remain to be explored due to the paucity of genome-wide data. Some evidence argues that an eastward migration of Central Asians gave rise to modern Hui people, which is referred to as the demic diffusion hypothesis; other evidence favors the cultural diffusion hypothesis, which posits that East Asians adopted Muslim culture to form the modern culturally distinct populations. However, the extent to which the observed genetic structure of the Huis was mediated by the movement of people or the assimilation of Muslim culture also remains highly contentious. Analyses of over 700 K SNPs in 109 western Chinese individuals (49 Sichuan Huis and 60 geographically close Nanchong Hans) together with the available ancient and modern Eurasian sequences allowed us to fully explore the genomic makeup and origin of Hui and neighboring Han populations. The results from PCA, ADMIXTURE, and allele-sharing-based f-statistics revealed a strong genomic affinity between Sichuan Huis and Neolithic-to-modern Northern East Asians, which suggested a massive gene influx from East Asians into the Sichuan Hui people. Three-way admixture models in the qpWave/qpAdm analyses further revealed a small stream of gene influx from western Eurasians into the Sichuan Hui people, which was further directly confirmed via the admixture event from the temporally distinct Western sources to Sichuan Hui people in the qpGraph-based phylogenetic model, suggesting the key role of the cultural diffusion model in the genetic formation of the Sichuan Huis. ALDER-based admixture date estimation showed that this observed western Eurasian admixture signal was introduced into the Sichuan Huis during the historic periods, which was concordant with the extensive western-eastern communication along the Silk Road and historically documented Huis' migration history. In summary, although significant cultural differentiation exists between Hui people and their neighbors, our genomic analysis showed their strong genetic affinity with modern and ancient Northern East Asians. Our results support the hypothesis that the Sichuan Huis arose from a mixture of minor western Eurasian ancestry and predominant East Asian ancestry.

6.
Front Psychol ; 12: 632948, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33912109

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper was to analyze the relationship between attitudes toward physical activity and participation in water sports events and to recognize the main motives for involvement in these kinds of events. A written paper-pencil diagnostic survey was conducted among 394 participants in two traditional and two modern sports events on water held in Poland to ascertain whether innovative (modern) events are needed in society, and whether they cause an increase in interest in physical activity (more than traditional events). The research results showed that modern sports events on water did not have any more power to attract physically inactive people than traditional water events, did not produce a greater desire to lead an active lifestyle, and did not encourage people to more regularly practice water sports. Moreover, modern events, compared to traditional events, were only a one-time experience and the people who completed survey often wanted to return to traditional sports events which provided participants with greater positive emotions than a modern event. In the case of socio-demographical variables, there was no statistically significant relationship between gender and choice of modern or traditional event, but older people were more likely to choose a traditional event than younger people; modern water events were an attractive option primarily for young people under 30 years of age, furthermore, modern events more often attracted people who had completed higher education. However, it turned out that a modern event on water often attracted more people who had had no experience in this sport discipline rather than people who chose traditional water events. In a sense, modern events are therefore effective in promoting water sports in Polish society. We also distinguished five main groups of participants: healthy lifestyle managers, lovers of sports emotions, water sports malcontents, water sports enthusiasts, and neutrals to water sports. Additionally, we looked into gender-related motives for participation in modern and traditional water events: social and health-related motives proved to be more important for women and men who participated in modern water events. The research results presented in the article expand on the current state of knowledge about mass participation in sport, the impact of sporting events on the promotion of physical activity, and show the motivation behind participation in modern and traditional water sporting events.

7.
Mol Biol Evol ; 38(8): 3459-3477, 2021 07 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33905512

ABSTRACT

Thailand and Laos, located in the center of Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), harbor diverse ethnolinguistic groups encompassing all five language families of MSEA: Tai-Kadai (TK), Austroasiatic (AA), Sino-Tibetan (ST), Hmong-Mien (HM), and Austronesian (AN). Previous genetic studies of Thai/Lao populations have focused almost exclusively on uniparental markers and there is a paucity of genome-wide studies. We therefore generated genome-wide SNP data for 33 ethnolinguistic groups, belonging to the five MSEA language families from Thailand and Laos, and analyzed these together with data from modern Asian populations and SEA ancient samples. Overall, we find genetic structure according to language family, albeit with heterogeneity in the AA-, HM-, and ST-speaking groups, and in the hill tribes, that reflects both population interactions and genetic drift. For the TK speaking groups, we find localized genetic structure that is driven by different levels of interaction with other groups in the same geographic region. Several Thai groups exhibit admixture from South Asia, which we date to ∼600-1000 years ago, corresponding to a time of intensive international trade networks that had a major cultural impact on Thailand. An AN group from Southern Thailand shows both South Asian admixture as well as overall affinities with AA-speaking groups in the region, suggesting an impact of cultural diffusion. Overall, we provide the first detailed insights into the genetic profiles of Thai/Lao ethnolinguistic groups, which should be helpful for reconstructing human genetic history in MSEA and selecting populations for participation in ongoing whole genome sequence and biomedical studies.


Subject(s)
Asian People/genetics , Genome, Human , Language , Alleles , Asian People/ethnology , Humans , Laos , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Thailand
8.
CoDAS ; 33(1): e20190284, 2021. tab, graf
Article in Portuguese | LILACS | ID: biblio-1286098

ABSTRACT

RESUMO Objetivo Apresentar um breve relato sobre as primeiras etapas que envolveram o processo de tradução e adaptação cultural do teste Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, fourth edition para o Português Brasileiro (PB). Método O processo de tradução e adaptação desse instrumento foi realizado nas seguintes etapas: (1) tradução do texto original (inglês) para o PB (cultura alvo) por dois tradutores juramentados distintos e orientados quanto ao objetivo da pesquisa; (2) análise de paridade entre as traduções realizadas e concepção, por um grupo de especialistas, de uma versão síntese; (3) retrotradução da versão síntese por outros dois tradutores juramentados que não participaram da etapa 1; e (4) comparação entre a retrotradução e a versão original feita por um grupo de especialistas, moldando, assim, a versão adaptada pré-final do EOWPVT-4. Resultados Na versão brasileira, foi mantida a quantidade de itens da versão original e a adaptação cultural do EOWPVT-4 para o PB seguiu as etapas recomendadas pela literatura, além de considerar as diferenças do contexto sociocultural, não apresentando discrepâncias significativas no que se refere à equivalência semântica. Foram necessárias adaptações consideradas relevantes (e.g., itens não representativos da cultura brasileira) durante esse processo para que o instrumento pudesse ser utilizado com o mesmo rigor metodológico do instrumento original. Conclusão O processo de adaptação cultural desse instrumento indicou que houve equivalência teórica, semântica, idiomática e cultural com a versão original em inglês.


ABSTRACT Purpose To present a brief report of the first steps that involved the process of the cultural translation and adaptation of the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, fourth edition to Brazilian Portuguese (BP). Methods The process of translation and adaptation of this instrument was performed in the following steps: (1) translation of the original text (English) to Brazilian Portuguese (target culture) by two different sworn translators oriented towards our research goal; (2) parity analysis between both translations and design, by a group of experts, of a synthesis version; (3) back translation of the synthesis version by two other sworn translators who did not participate in step 1; and (4) Comparison between back-translation and the original version made by a group of specialists, thus shaping the pre-final adapted version of the EOWPVT-4. Results In the Brazilian version, the number of items from the original version was maintained and the cultural adaptation of the EOWPVT-4 to BP followed the steps recommended in the literature besides considering the differences in the socio-cultural context, showing no significant discrepancies regarding semantic equivalence. Relevant adaptations (e.g., items not representative within the Brazilian culture) were required during this process so that the instrument could be used with the same methodological rigor as the original instrument. Conclusion The process of cultural adaptation of this instrument indicated that there was theoretical, semantic, idiomatic and cultural equivalence with the original version in English.


Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Pregnancy , Vocabulary , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Translations , Brazil , Surveys and Questionnaires , Cultural Characteristics
9.
Mol Biol Evol ; 37(9): 2503-2519, 2020 09 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32344428

ABSTRACT

Vietnam features extensive ethnolinguistic diversity and occupies a key position in Mainland Southeast Asia. Yet, the genetic diversity of Vietnam remains relatively unexplored, especially with genome-wide data, because previous studies have focused mainly on the majority Kinh group. Here, we analyze newly generated genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism data for the Kinh and 21 additional ethnic groups in Vietnam, encompassing all five major language families in Mainland Southeast Asia. In addition to analyzing the allele and haplotype sharing within the Vietnamese groups, we incorporate published data from both nearby modern populations and ancient samples for comparison. In contrast to previous studies that suggested a largely indigenous origin for Vietnamese genetic diversity, we find that Vietnamese ethnolinguistic groups harbor multiple sources of genetic diversity that likely reflect different sources for the ancestry associated with each language family. However, linguistic diversity does not completely match genetic diversity: There have been extensive interactions between the Hmong-Mien and Tai-Kadai groups; different Austro-Asiatic groups show different affinities with other ethnolinguistic groups; and we identified a likely case of cultural diffusion in which some Austro-Asiatic groups shifted to Austronesian languages during the past 2,500 years. Overall, our results highlight the importance of genome-wide data from dense sampling of ethnolinguistic groups in providing new insights into the genetic diversity and history of an ethnolinguistically diverse region, such as Vietnam.


Subject(s)
Cultural Diversity , Genetic Variation , Language/history , History, Ancient , Humans , Male , Phylogeography , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Vietnam
10.
Ciênc. Saúde Colet. (Impr.) ; 25(1): 47-56, jan. 2020. tab
Article in Portuguese | LILACS | ID: biblio-1055782

ABSTRACT

Resumo A formação do enfermeiro no Brasil, ainda se apresenta como um desafio para as universidades, face as diversidades étnicas e as particularidades regionais existentes. Assim, o objetivo do estudo foi identificar os desafios no processo de formação de enfermeiros indígenas em Mato Grosso, Brasil. Trata-se de estudo exploratório e qualitativo, junto a 11 enfermeiros indígenas. A análise dos dados, baseou-se na interculturalidade de Paulo Freire. Verificou-se que todos participantes, buscam a integração dos saberes tradicionais indígenas com os conhecimentos técnico científicos, durante suas práticas, o que facilita a interação satisfatória com a comunidade. Durante a graduação de Enfermagem tiveram pouco ou nenhum contato com conteúdos relacionados à saúde indígena e ao término da formação vislumbravam despreparo para atender as variadas demandas em saúde. Historicamente, apresentam-se subalternizados em relação aos não indígenas, o que reflete em desvantagens no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, tanto relacionados aos aspectos técnicos/tecnológicos como sociais.


Abstract The training of nurses in Brazil remain a challenge for the university, given the existing ethnic diversity and regional particularities. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the challenges in the training process of indigenous nurses in Mato Grosso, Brazil. It is an exploratory and qualitative study, carried out with 11 indigenous nurses. Data analysis was based on Paulo Freire's interculturality. It was verified that both participants sought the integration of indigenous traditional knowledge with scientific technical knowledge during their practices, which facilitates a satisfactory interaction with the community. During nursing undergraduate school, they had little or no contact with contents related to indigenous health and at the end of the training they observed they were not prepared to meet the diverse health demands. Historically, they are subordinated in relation to non-indigenous people, which manifests as disadvantages in the teaching-learning process, related to technical / technological as well as social aspects.


Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Young Adult , Indians, South American/education , Education, Nursing/organization & administration , Brazil , Middle Aged
11.
J R Soc Interface ; 15(148)2018 11 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30464058

ABSTRACT

Using a database of early farming sites in Scandinavia, we estimate that the spread rate of the Neolithic was in the range 0.44-0.66 km yr-1 This is substantially slower (by about 50%) than the rate in continental Europe. We interpret this result in the framework of a new mathematical model that includes horizontal cultural transmission (acculturation), vertical cultural transmission (interbreeding) and demic diffusion (reproduction and dispersal of farmers). To parametrize the model, we estimate reproduction rates of early farmers using archaeological data (sum-calibrated probabilities for the dates of early Neolithic Scandinavian sites) and use them in a wave-of-advance model for the first time. Comparing the model with the archaeological data, we find that the percentage of the spread rate due to cultural diffusion is below 50% (except for very extreme parameter values, and even for them it is below 54%). This strongly suggests that the spread of the Neolithic in Scandinavia was driven mainly by demic diffusion. This conclusion, obtained from archaeological data, agrees qualitatively with the implications of ancient genetic data, but the latter are yet too few in Scandinavia to produce any quantitative percentage for the spread rate due to cultural diffusion. We also find that, on average, fewer than eight hunter-gatherers were incorporated in the Neolithic communities by each group of 10 pioneering farmers, via horizontal and/or vertical cultural transmission.


Subject(s)
Cultural Evolution/history , Human Migration/history , Models, Theoretical , History, Ancient , Humans , Scandinavian and Nordic Countries
12.
Mitochondrion ; 38: 23-30, 2018 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28764911

ABSTRACT

Although both linguistic and historical studies indicated only a small group of Aryans had been involved into the diffusion of Indo-Aryan languages into Bangladesh, no genetic studies had been carried out to prove this notion. By studying mitochondrial DNA variants of 240 Bengali speakers in Bangladesh, among which 23 mitogenomes are completely sequenced, we found a high proportion of South Asian components in this group. By contrast, only a small proportion of lineages can be traced back to western Eurasia, which could be attributed to recent gene flow. Our results implied a cultural diffusion of the Indo-Aryan languages into Bangladesh.


Subject(s)
DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics , Ethnicity , Genome, Mitochondrial , Human Migration , Racial Groups , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Bangladesh , DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry , Female , Gene Flow , Humans , Middle Aged , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Young Adult
13.
Evol Anthropol ; 26(5): 228-241, 2017 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29027332

ABSTRACT

Ancient genomes can help us detect prehistoric migrations, population contractions, and admixture among populations. Knowing the dynamics of demography is invaluable for understanding culture change in prehistory, particularly the roles played by demic and cultural diffusion in transformations of material cultures. Prehistoric Europe is a region where ancient genome analyses can help illuminate the interplay between demography and culture change. In Europe, there is more archeological evidence, in terms of detailed studies, radiometric dates, and explanatory hypotheses that can be evaluated, than in any other region of the world. Here I show some important ways that ancient genomes have given us insights into population movements in European prehistory. I also propose that studies might be increasingly focused on specific questions of culture change, for example in evaluating the makers of "transitional" industries as well as the origins of the Gravettian and spread of the Magdalenian. I also discuss genomic evidence supporting the large role that demic expansion has played in the Neolithization of Europe and the formation of the European population during the Bronze Age.


Subject(s)
Cultural Evolution , Genome, Human/genetics , Human Migration , Population Dynamics , Anthropology, Physical , Biological Evolution , DNA, Ancient , Europe , Humans , Metagenomics
14.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 114(34): 9140-9145, 2017 08 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28784786

ABSTRACT

Observable patterns of cultural variation are consistently intertwined with demic movements, cultural diffusion, and adaptation to different ecological contexts [Cavalli-Sforza and Feldman (1981) Cultural Transmission and Evolution: A Quantitative Approach; Boyd and Richerson (1985) Culture and the Evolutionary Process]. The quantitative study of gene-culture coevolution has focused in particular on the mechanisms responsible for change in frequency and attributes of cultural traits, the spread of cultural information through demic and cultural diffusion, and detecting relationships between genetic and cultural lineages. Here, we make use of worldwide whole-genome sequences [Pagani et al. (2016) Nature 538:238-242] to assess the impact of processes involving population movement and replacement on cultural diversity, focusing on the variability observed in folktale traditions (n = 596) [Uther (2004) The Types of International Folktales: A Classification and Bibliography. Based on the System of Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson] in Eurasia. We find that a model of cultural diffusion predicted by isolation-by-distance alone is not sufficient to explain the observed patterns, especially at small spatial scales (up to [Formula: see text]4,000 km). We also provide an empirical approach to infer presence and impact of ethnolinguistic barriers preventing the unbiased transmission of both genetic and cultural information. After correcting for the effect of ethnolinguistic boundaries, we show that, of the alternative models that we propose, the one entailing cultural diffusion biased by linguistic differences is the most plausible. Additionally, we identify 15 tales that are more likely to be predominantly transmitted through population movement and replacement and locate putative focal areas for a set of tales that are spread worldwide.


Subject(s)
Cultural Evolution , Folklore , Genetics, Population/methods , Genomics/methods , Africa , Asia , Biological Evolution , Europe , Geography , Humans , Linguistics , Models, Theoretical
15.
R Soc Open Sci ; 2(5): 140552, 2015 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26064658

ABSTRACT

Madagascar was one of the last major land masses to be inhabited by humans. It was initially colonized by Austronesian speaking Indonesians 1500-2000 years ago, but subsequent migration from Africa has resulted in approximately equal genetic contributions from Indonesia and Africa, and the material culture has mainly African influences. The dog, along with the pig and the chicken, was part of the Austronesian Neolithic culture, and was furthermore the only domestic animal to accompany humans to every continent in ancient times. To illuminate Madagascan cultural origins and track the initial worldwide dispersal of dogs, we here investigated the ancestry of Madagascan dogs. We analysed mtDNA control region sequences in dogs from Madagascar (n=145) and compared it with that from potential ancestral populations in Island Southeast Asia (n=219) and sub-Saharan Africa (n=493). We found that 90% of the Madagascan dogs carried a haplotype that was also present in sub-Saharan Africa and that the remaining lineages could all be attributed to a likely origin in Africa. By contrast, only 26% of Madagascan dogs shared haplotypes with Indonesian dogs, and one haplotype typical for Austronesian dogs, carried by more than 40% of Indonesian and Polynesian dogs, was absent among the Madagascan dogs. Thus, in contrast to the human population, Madagascan dogs seem to trace their origin entirely from Africa. These results suggest that dogs were not brought to Madagascar by the initial Austronesian speaking colonizers on their transoceanic voyage, but were introduced at a later stage, together with human migration and cultural influence from Africa.

16.
Hum Biol ; 87(3): 141-9, 2015 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26932566

ABSTRACT

Identifying the processes by which human cultures spread across different populations is one of the most topical objectives shared among different fields of study. Seminal works have analyzed a variety of data and attempted to determine whether empirically observed patterns are the result of demic and/or cultural diffusion. This special issue collects articles exploring several themes (from modes of cultural transmission to drivers of dispersal mechanisms) and contexts (from the Neolithic in Europe to the spread of computer programming languages), which offer new insights that will augment the theoretical and empirical basis for the study of demic and cultural diffusion. In this introduction we outline the state of art in the modeling of these processes, briefly discuss the pros and cons of two of the most commonly used frameworks (equation-based models and agent-based models), and summarize the significance of each article in this special issue.


Subject(s)
Culture , Models, Theoretical , Europe , Humans
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