Perspectives on the Origins of Modern Australians

Abstract

The study of modern human origins in Australia has a long history. Throughout much of this history, workers interested in the origins of the Australians have often focused on scenarios that invoke multiple founding populations for the modern inhabitants of this continent. These theories have included the Trihybrid model by Birdsell and the Dihybrid model championed by Thorne, with the latter often portrayed as one of the strongest supports for the modern Multiregional hypothesis. "The mark of ancient Java" has long been thought to link populations like the Ngandong fossils to both fossil and modern Australian Aboriginals. More recently, however, research has begun to highlight problems with these notions of regional continuity. This chapter will summarize our current understanding of modern human origins in Australasia, highlighting new evidence that casts doubt on the case for regional continuity and provides support for a replacement scenario.