Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 97248 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith |
| NOMBRES | Elizabeth |
| APELLIDO | Matisoo-Smith |
| FIRMA | MATISOO-SMITH E |
| AFILIACIONES | University of Otago |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3500-8307 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 47 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 109 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 47 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2001 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 6 |
Minding the Gaps
Addison and Matisoo-Smith (2010) challenged the widely accepted model regarding the settlement history of Polynesia, specifically the Lapita only origin of East Polynesia, and identified possible drivers for the resumption of the eastward expansion of Pacific peoples around 1500 BP. In the last 15 years, there have been some significant advances in our understanding of the events that have led to the biological, cultural and linguistic variation …
Conducting genetic epidemiology research on hyperuricaemia and gout in an indigenous community in Guam - a feasibility study
We estimated the prevalence of metabolic conditions, especially gout and hyperuricaemia, and found variation among ethnic groups, all while obtaining the Indigenous community's feedback on the genetic study and building gout research capacity. The results of ongoing genetic sequencing will be used to understand molecular causes of gout in Guam
Ancient mitogenomes of Lapita pigs confirm continuity of the Pacific Clade in Remote Oceania
Understanding the human settlement of the Pacific – Are we there yet
Do Recent DNA Studies Refute a 65 kya Arrival of Humans in Sahul
Ancient DNA investigation of the 17 Maronite patriarchs of Qanubin
Exploratory and integrative study of Māori kurī (Canis familiaris) at the NRD archaeological site in Aotearoa New Zealand
This multidisciplinary study analyzes kurī skeletal remains from the Northern Runway Development (NRD) archaeological site (AD 1400-1800) to develop an “osteo-history” and help us better understand 1) human-dog interactions; 2) the role kurī played in early Māori societies; and 3) to potentially use kurī as a proxy for human behavior at the site. We combine dental analysis with stable isotope analyses of bone and tooth dentine to investigate the …
'Buried with his boots on'
The New Zealand goldrushes of the mid nineteenth century saw an influx of, mostly, men surging into the Otago region in search of riches. Times were tough and the men had to cope with harsh weather and dangerous work practices to survive. Many lost their lives and most of these men remain anonymous. This paper presents a detailed life-course case study of a middle-aged man who lived, and died, in this biosocial landscape. The integration of osteo…
Back on the Rat Trail
A population history of Tokelau – genetic variation and change in atoll populations
Tokelau is a remote archipelago of atolls in western Polynesia, located approximately 500 km north of Samoa. It is thought to have been settled as part of the Austronesian expansion(s). However, its exact role in this population dispersal is not completely understood. Here we describe the results of complete mitochondrial genome sequencing for both the current inhabitants and ancient individuals from the archipelago in addition to an assessment o…
Behavior and intra-skeletal remodeling in an adult male from 1720 BP Ebon Atoll, Marshall Islands, eastern Micronesia
Bioarchaeological studies of human remains from the Marshall Islands have reported dental, aDNA, and some biological profile data, but no behavioral reconstructions have been conducted. In this case study, histology was examined in a fragmented set of long bone and rib samples to test whether strenuous arm use, linked to traditional Marshallese gardening, food collection, and fishing activities, can be inferred from markers of bone remodeling. Co…
A Land of Plenty? Colonial Diet in Rural New Zealand
An isotopic and genetic study of multi-cultural colonial New Zealand
Lapita Archaeology in the Southwest Pacific
A multi‐isotope, multi‐tissue study of colonial origins and diet in New Zealand
Objectives Colonial period New Zealand was lauded as a land of plenty, where colonists could improve their station in life and secure a future for their families. Our understanding of colonial experience, however, is often shaped by historical records which communicate a state‐sponsored version of history. This study aims to reconstruct the lives of settlers using isotopic evidence from the colonial skeletons themselves. Materials and methods We …
Exploitation and utilization of tropical rainforests indicated in dental calculus of ancient Oceanic Lapita culture colonists
Enigmatic Cranial Superstructures among Chamorro Ancestors from the Mariana Islands
Sublime expression of three ectocranial occipital superstructures (OSSs)—occipital torus tubercles (TOTs), retromastoid processes (PRs), and posterior supramastoid tubercles (TSPs)—is virtually restricted to Oceania, with epicenters in the Mariana Islands, Tonga, Mocha Island, and perhaps other Oceanic locales such as the West Sepik Coast of New Guinea. Enigmatic in etiology, OSSs are anatomically related to entheses for the trapezius, superior o…
Ancient DNA evidence for the introduction and dispersal of dogs in New Zealand
When people first arrived in New Zealand around 700 years ago, they brought their dogs (Canis familiaris) with them. To investigate the introduction and dispersal of dogs across the country we generated twenty-three new complete, or nearly complete, mitogenomes from ancient DNA from dog teeth sampled from four early archaeological sites in New Zealand and from one archaeological site in the southern Cook Islands. When considered together with fou…
Walking backwards into the future
CONTEXT: The Pacific region has had a complex human history. It has been subject to multiple major human dispersal and colonisation events, including some of the earliest Out-of-Africa migrations, the so-called Austronesian expansion of people out of Island Southeast Asia, and the more recent arrival of Europeans. Despite models of island isolation, evidence suggests significant levels of interconnectedness that vary in direction and frequency ov…
Ancient DNA and its contribution to understanding the human history of the Pacific Islands
Two recent papers, by Lipson et al. and Posth et al., have challenged current interpretations of the initial settlement of Remote Oceania. We invited Stuart Bedford, who is an author on both papers, to outline their importance, and a number of scholars in various disciplines to comment on their findings
Genomics and Working with Indigenous Communities in the Pacific
Mass Migration and the Polynesian Settlement of New Zealand
This paper reintroduces the concept of mass migration into debates concerning the timing and nature of New Zealand's settlement by Polynesians. Upward revisions of New Zealand's chronology show that the appearance of humans on the landscape occurred extremely rapidly, and that within decades settlements had been established across the full range of climatic zones. We show that the rapid appearance of a strong archaeological signature in the early…
Edta decalcification of dental calculus as an alternate means of microparticle extraction from archaeological samples
Complete mitogenomes of ancient Caribbean Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)
The domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) was translocated from South America to several Caribbean islands sometime after 500 CE. Identifying the timing and routes of guinea pig translocation can provide a proxy for human interaction in the region. A recent investigation of aDNA of Caribbean guinea pig remains, based on sequences from short regions of the mitochondrial D-loop and cytochrome B regions, suggested a Colombian origin and single intro…
A genomic history of Aboriginal Australia
The population history of Aboriginal Australians remains largely uncharacterized. Here we generate high-coverage genomes for 83 Aboriginal Australians (speakers of Pama–Nyungan languages) and 25 Papuans from the New Guinea Highlands. We find that Papuan and Aboriginal Australian ancestors diversified 25–40 thousand years ago (kya), suggesting pre-Holocene population structure in the ancient continent of Sahul (Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania).…
Mitochondrial DNA from 3000-year old chickens at the Teouma site, Vanuatu
Ancient DNA of the Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) from Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
The Commensal Model for Human Settlement of the Pacific 10 Years on—What Can We Say and Where to Now
In 1998 my colleagues and I published the first full analysis of the use of Rattus exulans mitochondrial DNA phylogenies as a proxy for tracing human colonization and migration in Polynesia. In the 10 years since that publication, we have extended this approach geographically beyond Polynesia and chronologically through the use of ancient DNA. We have also extended the approach to other commensal animals and plants. This paper will review some of…
DNA and Pacific Commensal Models
Components of the Pacific transported landscape have been used as proxies to trace the prehistoric movement of humans across the Pacific for almost two decades. Analyses of archaeological remains and DNA sequences of plants, animals, and microorganisms moved by or with humans have contributed to understanding prehistoric migration, trade, exchange, and sometimes revealed the geographic origins of particular plants and animals. This paper presents…
A 3000 Year Old Dog Burial in Timor-Leste
The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is considered to be the oldest domesticated animal in the world. It arrived in Island Southeast Asia and Australia-New Guinea relatively late in the Holocene, though the timing and means of its dispersal remain unclear. We report a dog burial from Timor-Leste dated to ~3000 cal. BP. Morphometric analysis demonstrates strong affinities between this individual and contemporary domestic dog groups, and particularl…
Something Old, Something New
Through our research focusing on genetic studies of both ancient and extant commensal animals in the Pacific for addressing issues of population origins and mobility in the region, we have been able to process a large number of archaeological faunal remains that we can compare to modern samples from the same islands. These comparisons shed light on and provide specific evidence for Rattus exulans population change through time. This information m…
An isotopic and genetic study of multi-cultural colonial New Zealand
Ancient DNA and its contribution to understanding the human history of the Pacific Islands
Two recent papers, by Lipson et al. and Posth et al., have challenged current interpretations of the initial settlement of Remote Oceania. We invited Stuart Bedford, who is an author on both papers, to outline their importance, and a number of scholars in various disciplines to comment on their findings
Counting your chickens
In an effort to document the density and distribution of prehistoric chicken (Gallus gallus) remains across Oceania, this paper presents the analysis of reported faunal remains from over 500 individual archaeological and natural sites from across the Pacific. We examined the presence and absence of chicken in secure prehistoric contexts and factors which may account for this, including human choice, taphonomy, the influence of other animals on ex…
A Land of Plenty? Colonial Diet in Rural New Zealand
Name that rat
Generally, species identification of rodent remains from archaeological sites in the Pacific is made based on the overall size and robusticity of those bones most commonly recovered—mandibles and femora. Molecular identifications of Pacific rat remains suggest that the current method of morphological identification may not be appropriate for species identification. It appears that there is a high degree of size variation in Rattus exulans through…
Pacific 'Babes
We explore potential sources of genetic variation in Pacific pigs over the duration of their commensal relationships with Pacific people. Three time periods are identified as critical to understanding the history of pigs in the Pacific region: (1) the late Pleistocene-early Holocene following from human movement into Near Oceania; (2) with Lapita colonization of Remote Oceania beginning ca. 3000 bp, and (3) in Polynesia, shortly after sustained E…
Edta decalcification of dental calculus as an alternate means of microparticle extraction from archaeological samples
A Novel Application of Molecular Techniques to Pacific Archaeofish Remains
Until recently, the identification of fish bone from Pacific archaeological sites generally relied upon morphological analysis of a relatively restricted number of skeletal elements. Limited morphological variation within fish families, amongst other things, has often restricted Pacific archaeofish determinations to the level of family or, in some cases, genus. We suggest that these relatively imprecise determinations may mask important aspects o…
A multi‐isotope, multi‐tissue study of colonial origins and diet in New Zealand
Objectives Colonial period New Zealand was lauded as a land of plenty, where colonists could improve their station in life and secure a future for their families. Our understanding of colonial experience, however, is often shaped by historical records which communicate a state‐sponsored version of history. This study aims to reconstruct the lives of settlers using isotopic evidence from the colonial skeletons themselves. Materials and methods We …
Lepong
A new obsidian source from northwest Manus, Papua New Guinea, is reported for the first time. The chemical signature for this new source was obtained using the electron microprobe, ICP‐MS, and PIXE‐PIGME, and the results were compared with known sources and artifacts from this region. The results show for the first time a more complex scenario of obsidian procurement and exchange than previously thought. Archaeological excavation and survey of Ma…
Genomics and Working with Indigenous Communities in the Pacific
A modified sampler for uncontaminated DNA cores from soft sediments
Name that rat
Generally, species identification of rodent remains from archaeological sites in the Pacific is made based on the overall size and robusticity of those bones most commonly recovered—mandibles and femora. Molecular identifications of Pacific rat remains suggest that the current method of morphological identification may not be appropriate for species identification. It appears that there is a high degree of size variation in Rattus exulans through…
Pacific 'Babes
We explore potential sources of genetic variation in Pacific pigs over the duration of their commensal relationships with Pacific people. Three time periods are identified as critical to understanding the history of pigs in the Pacific region: (1) the late Pleistocene-early Holocene following from human movement into Near Oceania; (2) with Lapita colonization of Remote Oceania beginning ca. 3000 bp, and (3) in Polynesia, shortly after sustained E…
Something Old, Something New
Through our research focusing on genetic studies of both ancient and extant commensal animals in the Pacific for addressing issues of population origins and mobility in the region, we have been able to process a large number of archaeological faunal remains that we can compare to modern samples from the same islands. These comparisons shed light on and provide specific evidence for Rattus exulans population change through time. This information m…
A Novel Application of Molecular Techniques to Pacific Archaeofish Remains
Until recently, the identification of fish bone from Pacific archaeological sites generally relied upon morphological analysis of a relatively restricted number of skeletal elements. Limited morphological variation within fish families, amongst other things, has often restricted Pacific archaeofish determinations to the level of family or, in some cases, genus. We suggest that these relatively imprecise determinations may mask important aspects o…
Worldwide Phylogeography of Wild Boar Reveals Multiple Centers of Pig Domestication
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from 686 wild and domestic pig specimens place the origin of wild boar in island Southeast Asia (ISEA), where they dispersed across Eurasia. Previous morphological and genetic evidence suggested pig domestication took place in a limited number of locations (principally the Near East and Far East). In contrast, new genetic data reveal multiple centers of domestication across Eurasia and that European, rather tha…
A modified sampler for uncontaminated DNA cores from soft sediments
Ancient DNA of the Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) from Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Radiocarbon and DNA evidence for a pre-Columbian introduction of Polynesian chickens to Chile
Two issues long debated among Pacific and American prehistorians are ( i ) whether there was a pre-Columbian introduction of chicken ( Gallus gallus ) to the Americas and ( ii ) whether Polynesian contact with South America might be identified archaeologically, through the recovery of remains of unquestionable Polynesian origin. We present a radiocarbon date and an ancient DNA sequence from a single chicken bone recovered from the archaeological …
Phylogeny and ancient DNA of Sus provides insights into neolithic expansion in Island Southeast Asia and Oceania
Human settlement of Oceania marked the culmination of a global colonization process that began when humans first left Africa at least 90,000 years ago. The precise origins and dispersal routes of the Austronesian peoples and the associated Lapita culture remain contentious, and numerous disparate models of dispersal (based primarily on linguistic, genetic, and archeological data) have been proposed. Here, through the use of mtDNA from 781 modern …
Recovery of DNA and pollen from New Zealand lake sediments
Counting your chickens
In an effort to document the density and distribution of prehistoric chicken (Gallus gallus) remains across Oceania, this paper presents the analysis of reported faunal remains from over 500 individual archaeological and natural sites from across the Pacific. We examined the presence and absence of chicken in secure prehistoric contexts and factors which may account for this, including human choice, taphonomy, the influence of other animals on ex…
Tamuarawai (EQS)
In 2007 a new Early Lapita site called Tamuarawai (EQS) was located on Emirau Island, Papua New Guinea. Two seasons of excavation (2007, 2008) have been undertaken. This paper describes the site and some of the preliminary analyses undertaken. Some unusual results suggest that Tamuarawai will make an important contribution to modelling the Early Lapita occupation of the Bismarck Archipelago
Human Skeletal Evidence of Polynesian Presence in South America? Metric Analyses of Six Crania from Mocha Island, Chile
In 2007 the discovery of pre-Columbian chicken bones from Chile provided the first conclusive evidence for prehistoric Polynesian contact with South America. When looking for further commensal data to address the issue of trans-Pacific contacts, we found a museum collection of human remains recovered from Mocha Island, a small island located approximately 30 km off the Chilean coast. The morphology of the crania suggests they may be of Polynesian…
The Commensal Model for Human Settlement of the Pacific 10 Years on—What Can We Say and Where to Now
In 1998 my colleagues and I published the first full analysis of the use of Rattus exulans mitochondrial DNA phylogenies as a proxy for tracing human colonization and migration in Polynesia. In the 10 years since that publication, we have extended this approach geographically beyond Polynesia and chronologically through the use of ancient DNA. We have also extended the approach to other commensal animals and plants. This paper will review some of…
Rethinking Polynesians origins
The last twenty years has seen an apparent consensus that the immediate origins of Polynesian language, culture and biology lie solely with the Lapita peoples and cultures that settled Samoa and Tonga by 2700 years ago. We suggest that there is increasing evidence that does not sit well with this generally accepted view of Polynesian origins and thus we put forward an alternative model for consideration. Building on Green's suggestion of over 20 …
Mitochondrial DNA from 3000-year old chickens at the Teouma site, Vanuatu
Polynesian chickens in the N ew W orld
In 2007, based on direct radiocarbon dates, we presented evidence that chickens were introduced to C hile before E uropeans first made contact with the N ew W orld. The pre‐ C olumbian age of the chicken bones and their mtDNA affinities with one of two prehistoric P acific chicken haplogroups ( E ) led us to conclude that P olynesia was the most likely origin for these pre‐ C olumbian chickens. Subsequently, the mtDNA and radiocarbon evidence pro…
DNA and Pacific Commensal Models
Components of the Pacific transported landscape have been used as proxies to trace the prehistoric movement of humans across the Pacific for almost two decades. Analyses of archaeological remains and DNA sequences of plants, animals, and microorganisms moved by or with humans have contributed to understanding prehistoric migration, trade, exchange, and sometimes revealed the geographic origins of particular plants and animals. This paper presents…
A 3000 Year Old Dog Burial in Timor-Leste
The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is considered to be the oldest domesticated animal in the world. It arrived in Island Southeast Asia and Australia-New Guinea relatively late in the Holocene, though the timing and means of its dispersal remain unclear. We report a dog burial from Timor-Leste dated to ~3000 cal. BP. Morphometric analysis demonstrates strong affinities between this individual and contemporary domestic dog groups, and particularl…
Lepong
A new obsidian source from northwest Manus, Papua New Guinea, is reported for the first time. The chemical signature for this new source was obtained using the electron microprobe, ICP‐MS, and PIXE‐PIGME, and the results were compared with known sources and artifacts from this region. The results show for the first time a more complex scenario of obsidian procurement and exchange than previously thought. Archaeological excavation and survey of Ma…
Ancient DNA and the human settlement of the Pacific
A genomic history of Aboriginal Australia
The population history of Aboriginal Australians remains largely uncharacterized. Here we generate high-coverage genomes for 83 Aboriginal Australians (speakers of Pama–Nyungan languages) and 25 Papuans from the New Guinea Highlands. We find that Papuan and Aboriginal Australian ancestors diversified 25–40 thousand years ago (kya), suggesting pre-Holocene population structure in the ancient continent of Sahul (Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania).…
Characterization of an archaeological decorated bark cloth from Agakauitai Island, Gambier archipelago, French Polynesia
Mass Migration and the Polynesian Settlement of New Zealand
This paper reintroduces the concept of mass migration into debates concerning the timing and nature of New Zealand's settlement by Polynesians. Upward revisions of New Zealand's chronology show that the appearance of humans on the landscape occurred extremely rapidly, and that within decades settlements had been established across the full range of climatic zones. We show that the rapid appearance of a strong archaeological signature in the early…
Edta decalcification of dental calculus as an alternate means of microparticle extraction from archaeological samples
Archaeology (37 obras) · Geography (36 obras) · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies (34 obras) · Biology (30 obras) · History (23 obras) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (20 obras) · Demography (20 obras) · Population (16 obras) · Ancient DNA (15 obras) · Ecology (14 obras)