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Tobler R, Rohrlach A, Soubrier J, Bover P, Llamas B, Tuke J, Bean N, Abdullah-Highfold A, Agius S, O'Donoghue A, O'Loughlin I, Sutton P, Zilio F, Walshe K, Williams AN, Turney CSM, Williams M, Richards SM, Mitchell RJ, Kowal E, Stephen JR, Williams L, Haak W, Cooper A. Aboriginal mitogenomes reveal 50,000 years of regionalism in Australia. Nature 2017; 544:180-184. [PMID: 28273067 DOI: 10.1038/nature21416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Aboriginal Australians represent one of the longest continuous cultural complexes known. Archaeological evidence indicates that Australia and New Guinea were initially settled approximately 50 thousand years ago (ka); however, little is known about the processes underlying the enormous linguistic and phenotypic diversity within Australia. Here we report 111 mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from historical Aboriginal Australian hair samples, whose origins enable us to reconstruct Australian phylogeographic history before European settlement. Marked geographic patterns and deep splits across the major mitochondrial haplogroups imply that the settlement of Australia comprised a single, rapid migration along the east and west coasts that reached southern Australia by 49-45 ka. After continent-wide colonization, strong regional patterns developed and these have survived despite substantial climatic and cultural change during the late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. Remarkably, we find evidence for the continuous presence of populations in discrete geographic areas dating back to around 50 ka, in agreement with the notable Aboriginal Australian cultural attachment to their country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Tobler
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Adam Rohrlach
- School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Julien Soubrier
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- Genetics and Molecular Pathology, SA Pathology, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Pere Bover
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Bastien Llamas
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Jonathan Tuke
- School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Nigel Bean
- School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | | | - Shane Agius
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Amy O'Donoghue
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | | | - Peter Sutton
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Fran Zilio
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Keryn Walshe
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Alan N Williams
- Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, and Climate Change Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Chris S M Turney
- Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, and Climate Change Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew Williams
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Stephen M Richards
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Robert J Mitchell
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Emma Kowal
- Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria 3125, Australia
| | - John R Stephen
- Australian Genome Research Facility, The Waite Research Precinct, Adelaide, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Lesley Williams
- Community Elder and Cultural Advisor, Cherbourg, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wolfgang Haak
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- Department of Archeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Alan Cooper
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
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Millard AR. A critique of the chronometric evidence for hominid fossils: I. Africa and the Near East 500-50 ka. J Hum Evol 2008; 54:848-74. [PMID: 18201747 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2006] [Revised: 09/17/2007] [Accepted: 11/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The chronometric dating evidence for all hominid fossils from Africa and the Near East that have previously been dated to 500-50 ka is critically assessed using the concept of chronometric hygiene, and these dates are revised using Bayesian statistical analyses where possible. Sixteen relevant hominid sites lacking chronometric evidence are briefly discussed. Chronometric evidence from 37 sites is assessed in detail. The dates for many hominid fossils are poorly constrained, with a number dated by comparisons of faunal assemblages-a method that does not have good chronological resolution for much of the last million years. For sites with stratigraphic sequences of dates, it is generally possible to refine the dating, but in some cases, the revised chronology is less precise than previous chronologies. Fossils over 200 ka in age tend to be poorly dated, but for the last 200 kyr, dating is better due to the availability of electron-spin-resonance and thermoluminescence dating. Consideration of the chronologies favored by the proponents of the out-of-Africa and multiregional hypotheses of human evolution shows their selectivity. The chronological assessment of the fossils here is compatible with either hypothesis. If evolutionary schemes that do not rely on the morphology of the hominid fossils to decide the sequence of fossils are to be built, then further dating is required, alongside full publication of existing dates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Millard
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, UK.
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Schembri V, Heijmen BJM. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of carbon-doped aluminum oxide (Al2O3:C) for film dosimetry in radiotherapy. Med Phys 2007; 34:2113-8. [PMID: 17654914 DOI: 10.1118/1.2737160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE Conventional x-ray films and radiochromic films have inherent challenges for high precision radiotherapy dosimetry. Here we have investigated basic characteristics of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of irradiated films containing carbon-doped aluminum oxide (Al2O3:C) for dosimetry in therapeutic photon and electron beams. MATERIALS AND METHODS The OSL films consist of a polystyrene sheet, with a top layer of a mixture of single crystals of Al2O3:C, ground into a powder, and a polyester base. The total thickness of the films is 0.3 mm. Measurements have been performed in a water equivalent phantom, using 4, 6, 10, and 18 MV photon beams, and 6-22 MeV electron beams. The studies include assessment of the film response (acquired OSL signal/delivered dose) on delivered dose (linearity), dose rate (1-6 Gy/min), beam quality, field size and depth (6 MV, ranges 4 x 4-30 x 30 cm2, dmax-35 cm). Doses have been derived from ionization chamber measurements. OSL films have also been compared with conventional x-ray and GafChromic films for dosimetry outside the high dose area, with a high proportion of low dose scattered photons. In total, 787 OSL films have been irradiated. RESULTS Overall, the OSL response for electron beams was 3.6% lower than for photon beams. Differences between the various electron beam energies were not significant. The 6 and 18 MV photon beams differed in response by 4%. No response dependencies on dose rate were observed. For the 6 MV beam, the field size and depth dependencies of the OSL response were within +/-2.5%. The observed inter-film response variation for films irradiated with the same dose varied from 1% to 3.2% (1 SD), depending on the measurement day. At a depth of 20 cm, 5 cm outside the 20 x 20 cm2 6 and 18 MV beams, an over response of 17% was observed. In contrast to GafChromic and conventional x-ray films, the response of the Al2O3:C films is linear in the clinically relevant dose range 0-200 cGy. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of the OSL signal of irradiated films containing Al2O3:C is a promising technique for film dosimetry in radiotherapy with no or small response variations with dose rate, beam quality, field size and depth, and a linear response from 0 to 200 cGy.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Schembri
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
The methods that can be used for the direct dating of human remains comprise of radiocarbon, U-series, electron spin resonance (ESR), and amino acid racemization (AAR). This review gives an introduction to these methods in the context of dating human bones and teeth. Recent advances in ultrafiltration techniques have expanded the dating range of radiocarbon. It now seems feasible to reliably date bones up to 55,000 years. New developments in laser ablation mass spectrometry permit the in situ analysis of U-series isotopes, thus providing a rapid and virtually non-destructive dating method back to about 300,000 years. This is of particular importance when used in conjunction with non-destructive ESR analysis. New approaches in AAR analysis may lead to a renaissance of this method. The potential and present limitations of these direct dating techniques are discussed for sites relevant to the reconstruction of modern human evolution, including Florisbad, Border Cave, Tabun, Skhul, Qafzeh, Vindija, Banyoles, and Lake Mungo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Grün
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
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