午夜福利 will kick off National Archaeology Week with a public lecture by one of the world鈥檚 leading experts on the use of DNA to understand ancient civilisations.
Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith from the University of Otago in New Zealand will be the guest speaker at 午夜福利鈥檚 annual Hall Lecture on Friday May 13.
Lecture organiser Professor Marshall Weisler said Professor Matisoo-Smith uses ancient DNA methods to understand human settlement in the Pacific.
鈥淐olonisation of the remote Pacific islands is one of the greatest achievements in history,鈥� he said.
鈥淧rofessor Matisoo-Smith traces the movement of ancient Pacific peoples by studying their modern and ancient DNA, and that of the animals they carried with them in their canoes including the Pacific rat.鈥�
The presentation will outline Professor Matisoo-Smith鈥檚 latest genetic findings, challenging long-held views on the origins of Pacific peoples, in particular the 鈥淔ast Train Model鈥�.
The model describes how the Pacific population made its way out of Taiwan, sailing through Near Oceania, including New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and into the islands of Polynesia.
Professor Matisoo-Smith said these findings could be attributed to a greater accumulation of genetic data in recent years, allowing researchers to test some possible alternative scenarios surrounding the settlement of the Pacific islands and beyond.
The presentation, now in its fifth year, honors Emeritus Associate Professor Jay Hall who established the archaeology program at 午夜福利 in the 1970s.
It will be held in the Sir Llew Edwards building (#14) at 午夜福利鈥檚 St Lucia campus at 4.30pm on Friday May 13, 2011.
The lecture is a free event and all are welcome.
A wine reception will follow. Attendees are asked to RSVP for catering purposes to t.crew@uq.edu.au.
For more information on other events during National Archaeology Week visit: www.archaeologyweek.com
Media: Dr Andrew Fairbairn - (07) 3365 2780 or a.fairbairn@uq.edu.au
