Refuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometry
During an expedition in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia), Father Marie-Joseph Dubois conducted anthropological studies that led him to postulate the presence of inherited Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial features and biological Polynesian influences. To test these hypotheses, five archaeolo...
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Société d'Anthropologie de Paris
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/15869 |
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| author | Alexandre Mackenzie Wanda Zinger Christopher Knüsel Christophe Sand Frédérique Valentin |
| author_facet | Alexandre Mackenzie Wanda Zinger Christopher Knüsel Christophe Sand Frédérique Valentin |
| author_sort | Alexandre Mackenzie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During an expedition in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia), Father Marie-Joseph Dubois conducted anthropological studies that led him to postulate the presence of inherited Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial features and biological Polynesian influences. To test these hypotheses, five archaeological crania from Maré were analysed by linear morphometry to: 1) assess the presence of affinities with Indonesian H. erectus, 2) determine biological affinities with a heterogeneous sample of modern H. sapiens, and 3) contextualise the results in the light of current knowledge and oral traditions about the peopling of the Pacific region. The results show no evidence of affinities with Indonesian H. erectus neurocrania, so that the hypothesis postulated by Dubois has to be refuted. The Maré crania present morphometric affinities with the Australo-Melanesian and Chinese-Micronesian-Polynesian population clusters. The Chinese-Micronesian-Polynesian affinities provide new evidence of Polynesian influence in Maré. The LMA001 archaeological site offers the earliest evidence of Polynesian presence in Maré about a millennium ago. The morphometric diversity within the sample evokes certain aspects found in oral traditions, such as the presence of Polynesians and their admixture with the Maré population. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aeba8243a96e49d1abba60b0f660f530 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1777-5469 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Société d'Anthropologie de Paris |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris |
| spelling | doaj-art-aeba8243a96e49d1abba60b0f660f5302025-08-20T03:47:44ZengSociété d'Anthropologie de ParisBulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris1777-54692025-04-013710.4000/13snvRefuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometryAlexandre MackenzieWanda ZingerChristopher KnüselChristophe SandFrédérique ValentinDuring an expedition in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia), Father Marie-Joseph Dubois conducted anthropological studies that led him to postulate the presence of inherited Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial features and biological Polynesian influences. To test these hypotheses, five archaeological crania from Maré were analysed by linear morphometry to: 1) assess the presence of affinities with Indonesian H. erectus, 2) determine biological affinities with a heterogeneous sample of modern H. sapiens, and 3) contextualise the results in the light of current knowledge and oral traditions about the peopling of the Pacific region. The results show no evidence of affinities with Indonesian H. erectus neurocrania, so that the hypothesis postulated by Dubois has to be refuted. The Maré crania present morphometric affinities with the Australo-Melanesian and Chinese-Micronesian-Polynesian population clusters. The Chinese-Micronesian-Polynesian affinities provide new evidence of Polynesian influence in Maré. The LMA001 archaeological site offers the earliest evidence of Polynesian presence in Maré about a millennium ago. The morphometric diversity within the sample evokes certain aspects found in oral traditions, such as the presence of Polynesians and their admixture with the Maré population.https://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/15869MaréIndonesian Homo erectuslinear morphometryPolynesian influencemorphometric heterogeneity |
| spellingShingle | Alexandre Mackenzie Wanda Zinger Christopher Knüsel Christophe Sand Frédérique Valentin Refuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometry Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris Maré Indonesian Homo erectus linear morphometry Polynesian influence morphometric heterogeneity |
| title | Refuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometry |
| title_full | Refuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometry |
| title_fullStr | Refuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Refuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometry |
| title_short | Refuting the existence of Indonesian Homo erectus neurocranial affinities in Maré (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia): evidence of Polynesian influence through linear morphometry |
| title_sort | refuting the existence of indonesian homo erectus neurocranial affinities in mare loyalty islands new caledonia evidence of polynesian influence through linear morphometry |
| topic | Maré Indonesian Homo erectus linear morphometry Polynesian influence morphometric heterogeneity |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/15869 |
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