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  • Title: The Solomon Islands Project: an introduction.
    Author: Friedlaender JS.
    Journal: Am J Phys Anthropol; 1990 Apr; 81(4):459-64. PubMed ID: 2333935.
    Abstract:
    The twin themes of the Solomon Islands Biomedical Project remain 1) the remarkable genetic heterogeneity of the groups in the Solomons; and 2) the differential responses to these groups to rapid modernization/acculturation over the past two decades of this long term study. This introduction summarizes the historical and ethnic relationships of the survey groups, their established genetic distances and their rankings with regard to acculturation at the times of their first survey, and changes occurring up to 1985-86. Relevant features of diet, life style, and epidemiology are described. The first heterogenous humans arrived in the Solomon Islands by 28,000 B.C. Linguistically the inhabitants are divided into non-Austronesian (NAN) and Austronesian languages introduced by homogenous people 6000-7000 B.C. Through intermixing 7 distinct groups have evolved who are included in the survey, although they are divided into 3 language groups. The Bougainville groups are inland NAN speakers; the Malaita groups are Austronesian speakers, and the Ontong Javanese speak a Polynesian language. Genetic similarity was found between Malaita Island inhabitants and South Bougainville Island dwellers. North Bougainvillians were different in polymorphic traits, while the Ontong Javans clustered with the Malaitan groups. Population distance matrices were taken from male and female odontometrics, male and female dermatoglyphics, and male and female anthropometry. The Ontong Javans were removed from the rest. A ranking of population distance was devised using these matrices. The Malaita and South Bougainville groups were fairly close; the Aita of North Bougainville were close to South Bougainville groups; and the Ontong Java were closest to Malaita groups and most distant from Bougainville NAN speakers. Acculturation status caused by modernization was measured during 1966-72: the South Bougainville populations were most acculturated and the Aita of North Bougainville were the least. The Malaita and the Ontong Java were also less acculturated. The surveys of 1985-86 indicated that the populations of Bougainville, Malaita, and Ontong Java were affected by an open pit copper mine, road construction, and commerce. The traditional root crop staple, pork, and fish diet changed to imported white rice and bread, animal lard, sugar, salt, canned mutton, cookies, coffee, tea, and tobacco. The negative effects on serum cholesterol, glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and body weight because of less physical activity followed.
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