Overview
Haplogroup S-P79 represents a parallel early offshoot of S-M254, forming one of the two principal radiations alongside S-P202. It is strongly associated with ancient Sahul dispersals and is thought to reflect one of the earliest paternal lineages connecting New Guinea, northern Australia and island Melanesia. Archaeological and genomic evidence suggests that S-P79 diverged from the primary Papuan Highlands lineage (S-P202) during the Late Pleistocene, likely along coastal or lowland migration pathways. While less internally diverse than S-M230 or S-P202, S-P79 remains an important marker of early Australo-Melanesian ancestry.
Geographic distribution
S-P79 is present in West Papua, the Bird’s Head region, northern Australia and select populations in the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. It reaches its highest frequencies in coastal New Guinea communities and island groups with deep-time links to early Sahul expansions. Low occurrences in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities are consistent with shared ancestry predating the Holocene isolation of Australia from New Guinea.
Ancient DNA
- Genomic affinities between early Holocene Australian remains and Papuan lineages suggest the presence of S-P79 related ancestry in ancient Sahul populations.
- Papuan coastal archaeological sites from 5,000 to 10,000 years before present show autosomal affinities aligning with S-P79 carrying populations.
- Comparisons of early Australian and Melanesian genomes support the interpretation that S-P79 represents an early coastal Sahul paternal lineage.
Phylogeny & subclades
S-P79 forms a small but distinct cluster under S-M254. Although less deeply subdivided than S-P202 derived clades, it includes several geographically localized microclades corresponding to coastal New Guinea and island populations. The limited branching structure likely reflects small effective population sizes and isolation in coastal environments.
- S-P79*
- Coastal P79 microclades
- Northern Australian P79 lineages
Notes & context
S-P79 is crucial for understanding early coastal dispersals into Sahul and the divergence between Papuan Highlands and coastal or island Melanesian paternal ancestries.
References & external links