Evolutionary history and adaptation of a human pygmy population of Flores Island, Ind

[Angela]

See:Serena Tucci et al:
"Evolutionary history and adaptationof a human pygmy populationof Flores Island, Indonesia"
https://www.gwern.net/docs/genetics/selection/2018-tucci.pdf

"Flores Island, Indonesia, was inhabited by the small-bodied hominin speciesHomo floresiensis, which has an unknown evolutionary relationship to modern humans.This island is also home to an extant human pygmy population. Here we describegenome-scale single-nucleotide polymorphism data and whole-genome sequencesfrom a contemporary human pygmy population living on Flores near the cave whereH. floresiensis was found. The genomes of Flores pygmies reveal a complex history ofadmixture with Denisovans and Neanderthals but no evidence for gene flow withother archaic hominins. Modern individuals bear the signatures of recent positive selectionencompassing the FADS (fatty acid desaturase) gene cluster, likely related to diet,and polygenic selection acting on standing variation that contributed to theirshort-stature phenotype. Thus, multiple independent instances of hominin insulardwarfism occurred on Flores."


So, according to the authors, their short stature is due to adaptation, not descent from H. Floresiensis.

 

[bicicleur 2]

yes adaptation
not only humans were pygmies on Flores, also animals were pygmies in their own species
Cyprus was inhabited by pygmie animals too, before first humans arrived and killed them all of

resources are limited on an island
once it is overpopulated you better adapt to needing less food

HG on the tundra were tall
there was food on the tundra, but you had to be able to catch and kill it
the tundra never got overpopulated by humans