A study of ancient Aboriginal hair samples has revealed distinct Aboriginal populations were present in Australia with little geographical movement for up to 50,000 years. The discovery of such a long, continuous presence in the those regions emphasised why land was so sacred to Aboriginal people, researchers said. The results emerged after researchers led by the University of Adelaide’s Australian centre for ancient DNA analysed the mitochondrial DNA from 111 hair samples collected during anthropological expeditions in the early to mid-1900s. “I have Aboriginal ancestry through my granddad but he never spoke about it because he was removed from his family. “Aboriginal history has some remarkably positive things to say.”A Kaurna elder, Lewis O’Brien, who is on the advisory group for the study, said Aboriginal people were well aware of how unique their history was and how much their identity was tied to certain locations.

Source: The Guardian March 08, 2017 18:00 UTC