A breakthrough paleogenomic study published in Nature Genetics has sequenced the remains of highlanders from Papua New Guinea dating back 8,000 years. The research identifies a unique evolutionary divergence in the AMY1 gene, which is responsible for starch digestion. This finding suggests that ancient populations in the New Guinea Highlands adapted to a high-carbohydrate diet, likely centered on taro and yams, significantly earlier than previously hypothesized for Sahulian hunter-gatherers.
The study also reveals a long-term genetic continuity in the region, indicating that these populations remained largely isolated from the Austronesian migrations that swept through the coastal areas. Geneticists believe this adaptation provided a critical survival advantage for sedentary agricultural life in the rugged interior, marking one of the earliest known examples of dietary-driven selection in human history.