Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.

The region of the ancient Sahul continent (present day Australia and New Guinea, and surrounding islands) is home to extreme linguistic diversity. Even apart from the huge Austronesian language family, which spread into the area after the breakup of the Sahul continent in the Holocene, there are hun...

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Main Authors: Ger Reesink, Ruth Singer, Michael Dunn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2009-11-01
Series:PLoS Biology
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2770058?pdf=render
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spelling doaj-75d624d1441d481c84ca27c86affa6a82021-07-02T01:15:00ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852009-11-01711e100024110.1371/journal.pbio.1000241Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.Ger ReesinkRuth SingerMichael DunnThe region of the ancient Sahul continent (present day Australia and New Guinea, and surrounding islands) is home to extreme linguistic diversity. Even apart from the huge Austronesian language family, which spread into the area after the breakup of the Sahul continent in the Holocene, there are hundreds of languages from many apparently unrelated families. On each of the subcontinents, the generally accepted classification recognizes one large, widespread family and a number of unrelatable smaller families. If these language families are related to each other, it is at a depth which is inaccessible to standard linguistic methods. We have inferred the history of structural characteristics of these languages under an admixture model, using a Bayesian algorithm originally developed to discover populations on the basis of recombining genetic markers. This analysis identifies 10 ancestral language populations, some of which can be identified with clearly defined phylogenetic groups. The results also show traces of early dispersals, including hints at ancient connections between Australian languages and some Papuan groups (long hypothesized, never before demonstrated). Systematic language contact effects between members of big phylogenetic groups are also detected, which can in some cases be identified with a diffusional or substrate signal. Most interestingly, however, there remains striking evidence of a phylogenetic signal, with many languages showing negligible amounts of admixture.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2770058?pdf=render
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Ger Reesink
Ruth Singer
Michael Dunn
spellingShingle Ger Reesink
Ruth Singer
Michael Dunn
Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.
PLoS Biology
author_facet Ger Reesink
Ruth Singer
Michael Dunn
author_sort Ger Reesink
title Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.
title_short Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.
title_full Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.
title_fullStr Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.
title_full_unstemmed Explaining the linguistic diversity of Sahul using population models.
title_sort explaining the linguistic diversity of sahul using population models.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
series PLoS Biology
issn 1544-9173
1545-7885
publishDate 2009-11-01
description The region of the ancient Sahul continent (present day Australia and New Guinea, and surrounding islands) is home to extreme linguistic diversity. Even apart from the huge Austronesian language family, which spread into the area after the breakup of the Sahul continent in the Holocene, there are hundreds of languages from many apparently unrelated families. On each of the subcontinents, the generally accepted classification recognizes one large, widespread family and a number of unrelatable smaller families. If these language families are related to each other, it is at a depth which is inaccessible to standard linguistic methods. We have inferred the history of structural characteristics of these languages under an admixture model, using a Bayesian algorithm originally developed to discover populations on the basis of recombining genetic markers. This analysis identifies 10 ancestral language populations, some of which can be identified with clearly defined phylogenetic groups. The results also show traces of early dispersals, including hints at ancient connections between Australian languages and some Papuan groups (long hypothesized, never before demonstrated). Systematic language contact effects between members of big phylogenetic groups are also detected, which can in some cases be identified with a diffusional or substrate signal. Most interestingly, however, there remains striking evidence of a phylogenetic signal, with many languages showing negligible amounts of admixture.
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2770058?pdf=render
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