Early human burials in the western Pacific: evidence for c.3000 year old occupation on Palau

Antiquity ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (298) ◽  
pp. 719-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott M. Fitzpatrick

The author reports the oldest human skeletal assemblage found so far in the pacific Islands: at the site of Chalechol Ra Orrak on Palau, Micronesia.


Antiquity ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 87 (337) ◽  
pp. 840-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott M. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Richard T. Callaghan

The colonisation of the Pacific islands represents one of the major achievements of early human societies and has attracted much attention from archaeologists and historical linguists. Determining the pattern and chronology of colonisation remains a challenge, as new discoveries continue to push back dates of earliest settlement. The length and direction of the colonising voyages has also led to lively debate seeking to trace languages and artefactual techniques and traditions to presumed places of origin. Seafaring simulation models provide one way of resolving these controversies. One of the most remote of these island groups, the Marianas, is shown here to have been settled not from Taiwan or the Philippines, as has been argued in Antiquity by Hung et al. (2011) and Winter et al. (2012), but from New Guinea or Island Southeast Asia to the south. It represents an incredible feat of early navigation over an ocean distance of some 2000km.



Author(s):  
Patrick D. Nunn

ABSTRACTHolocene sea-level changes affected people living in the Pacific Islands and their ancestors along the western Pacific Rim. Sea-level changes, particularly those that were rapid, may have led to profound and enduring societal/lifestyle changes. Examples are given of (1) how a rapid sea-level rise (CRE-3) about 7600 BP could ultimately have led to the earliest significant cross-ocean movements of people from the western Pacific Rim into the islands; (2) how mid to late Holocene sea-level changes gradually created coastal environments on Pacific Islands that were highly attractive to human settlers; (3) a hypothesis that rapid sea-level fall during the ‘AD 1300 Event' brought about widespread disruption to trajectories of cultural evolution throughout the Pacific Islands; and (4) the effects of recent and likely future sea-level rise on Pacific Island peoples.



Author(s):  
Ian M. Turner ◽  
Timothy M.A. Utteridge

The taxonomy and distribution of Pacific Annonaceae are reviewed in light of recent changes in generic delimitations. A new species of the genus Monoon from the Solomon Archipelago is described, Monoon salomonicum I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov., together with an apparently related new species from New Guinea, Monoon pachypetalum I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov. The confirmed presence of the genus in the Solomon Islands extends the generic range eastward beyond New Guinea. Two new species of Huberantha are described, Huberantha asymmetrica I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov. and Huberantha whistleri I.M.Turner & Utteridge sp. nov., from the Solomon Islands and Samoa respectively. New combinations are proposed: Drepananthus novoguineensis (Baker f.) I.M.Turner & Utteridge comb. nov., Meiogyne punctulata (Baill.) I.M.Turner & Utteridge comb. nov. and Monoon merrillii (Kaneh.) I.M.Turner & Utteridge comb. nov. One neotype and four lectotypes are designated. The geographic patterns exhibited by nine native Annonaceae genera, that range in the Pacific beyond New Guinea, are discussed.



Author(s):  
Yujie Mei ◽  
Jijia Hu

ABSTRACT Objectives: To clarify the pandemic status in Western Pacific countries or territories. Methods: The WHO’s daily situation reports of COVID-19 were reviewed from January 20, 2020, to March 24, 2020. Changes in the infections, deaths, and the case fatality rate (CFR) in Western Pacific countries or territories were counted. Results: As of March 24, a total of 17 countries or territories had reported the presence of COVID-19 in the Western Pacific Region, 96,580 people have been infected and a total of 3502 deaths. Fifty-three percent (9/17) of these countries or territories had their first case within 2 wk since the WHO’s first report, most are China’s neighbors with a large and dense population. No other country or territory in this region reported a new infection from January 30 to February 28. However, 8 (47.0%) countries or territories have reported the first cases in 3 wk since February 28, almost all are islands. Many countries maintained a small number of infections for a long time after the first report, but a rapid increase occurred later. Deaths occurred in 8 countries with a total CFR of 3.63%, and the CFR varies widely, from 0.39% (Singapore) to 7.14% (Philippines). Conclusions: The regional spread of COVID-19 urgently requires an aggressive preparedness for the Western Pacific Islands.



2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 419 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Dalzell ◽  
C. H. Boggs

Various pelagic fisheries in the US Western Pacific islands capture blue and striped marlins. Total catches by US vessels in the Western Pacific islands amount to about 2000 t for blue marlin and 600 t for striped marlin, or 9% and 5% of the nominal total Pacific-wide catch of these two species, respectively. Catch records for domestic Western Pacific fisheries typically extend over several decades, although in this short communication they are confined to blue and striped marlin catches in the 1990s. There are currently no specific management measures for marlins in the US Western Pacific islands, but other management measures for US pelagic fisheries in this region may have an influence on marlin catches.



2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Ta ◽  
Jessica Miller ◽  
John Chapman ◽  
Allen Pleus ◽  
Thomas Calvanese ◽  
...  


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