Posted by POLYNESIAN ORIGIN MIGRATIONS {168.105.175.88} on July 10, 2005 at 09:57:13:
In Reply to: POLYNESIANS SAVAI'I TO HAVAI'I TO HAWAI'I posted by University of Hawaii 2003 {128.171.209.219} on September 02, 2003 at 12:25:55:
THE POLYNESIAN ORIGIN & MIGRATIONS: by Peter Leiataua AhChing
The Hardy-Weinberg Principle of Population Genetics was not met by the Polynesian forebears as they migrated through the ancient lands of South East Asia into the eastern lands, hence along their migration a new race of people and a new culture developed in isolation around 2000BC in the Samoa and Tonga realm, Upolu and Savaii of Samoa. The process which birthed the unique Polynesian entity is scientifically termed "Natural selection." To fully appreciate this process, we need to understand the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium Principle of Population Genetics. The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium calls for the following to maintain stable population genetics :
Large populations
Random mating
No genetic drifts
No mutations
No genetic migrations
Equal mating opportunity among members.
When these conditions are met, genetics in a population retain stability, without the development of any new species.
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium conditions were not met by the Polynesian forebears as they migrated from their ancient lands into the realm of Polynesia, Upolu and Savai'i of Samoa and Tonga in 2000BC ( Genetic migration and Genetic drifting ). Hence, population genetics led to the loss of unselected genes and the retention of naturally selected alleles necessary for survival on isolated Pacific islands, hence a new set of selected genes were able to survive and flourish onto offspring. A unique race of Polynesians was then produced based on the process of natural selection and genetic survival. Unselected genes were lost from the oceanic Polynesians, those lost genes were also links to their ancient forebears. Genetic marker analysis on Polynesians to retrieve resemblance to their forebears will be futile as it will not resemble any other race from before due to lost genes or even mixed genetics. Only the naturally selected alleles had survived and produced offspring in Upolu and Savaii, Samoa-Tonga 2000BC from the original Polynesian forebears of 5000-10,000BC.
The original genes of the Polynesian forebears evolved into a suitable population manifestation as Polynesian oceanic children. These Polynesians voyaged, found new lands, settled them as small population units ( Non-random mating, no equal chance of reproduction and small populations ) and flourished in the production of new offspring in Samoa and Tonga ( Natural Selection, Evolution, Genetic Drifts and Migration ). This process of Polynesian small-unit settlement of isolated Pacific islands from Upolu and Savai'i is scientifically termed the "Founder Effect." Then after a long period of settling in one area in Samoa and Tonga from 2000BC to 100AD, much genetic stabilization had occurred (Neutralization of the Founder Effect), then they as a new unique race of people migrated from the Polynesian Samoan islands of Upolu and Savaii to colonize the Cook Islands, Marquesas 100AD, to Tahiti 300AD, to Hawaii 500AD and then finally from return trips East to West, Polynesians from Cook Islands settled Aotearoa, New Zealand 1000AD.
2002 GENETICS journal article supports the uniformity of Polynesian genetics in Samoans, Cook Islanders and other Eastern Polynesians like the Tahitians, Marquesans and the Hawaiians. Genetic studies confirm the presence of Melanesian genes in the Tongan people like the Fijians who border Polynesia. These Melanesian genetic markers are not found in other Polynesians like the Samoans, Cook Islanders, Marquesans, Tahitians and the Hawaiians.
The Samoan word Tonga means "South." It is held in Samoan oral tradition that the original people of Tonga were Polynesians from Samoa. Later, Melanesians moved in from nearby Fiji and Vanuatu. Tonga-Samoan Polynesians procreated with the Melanesians of Fiji and Vanuatu and developed the modern-day Tongan bloodlines, which explains the scientific findings of mixed Polynesian-Melanesian genetic markers of Tongans (Genetics 2002). Melanesian cultural influence was very strong in the Tonga islands, thus Polynesians moved back to Samoa. To keep the Polynesian bloodline strong, royalty of Tonga sought marriage with Samoan Alii families, hence Queen Salamasina and Taufa'ahau Tupou. These old traditions are well known in the southern Polynesian islands.
In the big picture, the Polynesians populated the Polynesian Triangle from Western Polynesia to Eastern Polynesia and then back west to Aotearoa, New Zealand 800-1000AD. Genetics, language similarities, physical morphologies, Archaeology and Anthropology on these Polynesian islands all point to Savai'i, Samoa in western Polynesia as the original homeland of all Polynesians ( Tanata mao'i ). Ask Polynesians where they came from and they will tell you, " from the west, o SAVAI'I. "
References: (1) Pacific Journals (2) Genetics 2002 (3) PNAS 2000 (4) Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (5) World Encyclopedia (6) Polynesian Cultural Center. Laie, Oahu Hawaii.
Copyright 2003-05 Peter Leiataua AhChing. All Rights Reserved.