Your ancient origins may surprise you
the punch line now. We are as diverse a population as you’ll find anywhere. Kiwis carry all of the major mitochondrial DNA diversity seen in the world – lineages A to Z.
The history of human evolution and migration is one of the fastest moving areas of science. New findings, such as fossils of the diminutive Homo floresiensis (the hobbit people), are coming thick and fast and adding intriguing subplots to the main storyline.
We have an insatiable desire to know about our past. Genealogy is big business. But while DNA is hard evidence of our origins, relatedness, and some of the routes taken by our ancestors, it is only part of the story and actually reveals very little about who we are. New Zealanders are not defined by their DNA or bound in spirit by genetic similarity.
What we do share in common are the long journeys we and our forebears risked to come here, whether by waka, sailing ship or Boeing 777, to escape depression and social immobility in Britain, Pol Pot’s genocide, wars in Europe and the Middle East, or in search of adventure and a better life.
Our ancestors, all 6000 generations since Mitochondrial Eve, were survivors and we are their testament.
Next week: Who were the first New Zealanders? How many were there, and where did they come from?
Information and research provided by Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith FRSNZ, University of Otago.