Monday, June 25, 2007

Malayo-Polynesians brought chicken, banana, rats to America

Evidence that ancient sea faring Austronesians (Malayo-Polynesians) brought bananas & chickens to South America and Polynesian rats to North America, and that the Chumash natives of California may have derived sewn plank canoes from Hawaiians voyagers/traders. So far, no genetic evidence of mixing. Other articles of interest can be found at the Human Migrations yahoo group.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4085731a11.html

Coconuts and People Yahoo group discussion (chicken, sweet potato, bottle gourd):
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ICCRA/message/1092

Update Aug. 08: Further DNA testing appears to show that the fowl remains in South America were not unique to Polynesia, but were common throughout Eurasia.

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