Dr. Maximilian Larena, University of Uppsala: „From Sunda to Sahul: Genetic Perspectives on the Peopling of Island Southeast Asia and Oceania“

Dr. Maximilian Larena is a population geneticist of the Larena Lab at Uppsala University in Sweden. His research focuses on the origins, diversity, and demographic history of human populations, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The Larena Lab employs a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating with computational biologists, linguists, anthropologists, archaeologists, geologists, and local historians. Notably, the lab has worked closely with indigenous populations, ensuring their insights and stories are accurately represented in the research findings. See: www.larenalab.com.

The settlement of Island Southeast Asia and Sahul represents one of the most remarkable chapters in human evolutionary history. Archaeological and genetic evidence indicate that anatomically modern humans reached this region more than 50,000 years ago, encountering complex landscapes and likely an archaic hominin lineage, the Denisovans. Advances in genome-wide analyses, ancient DNA, and demographic modeling now reveal intricate patterns of migration, admixture, and long-term population structure. This talk explores movements from Sunda to Sahul, using genomic data to trace ancestral connections across Asia and Oceania. The distribution of Denisovan ancestry points to multiple, regionally distinct introgression events, while demographic reconstructions highlight early divergences, prolonged isolation, and episodes of contact. By combining various lines of evidence, we gain a more nuanced view of ancient population dynamics and their lasting impact on human diversity and adaptation. These findings highlight the complexity of human dispersal across one of the world’s most geographically dynamic regions.
The work of Larena Lab will be honoured this year with the Ferdinand-Blumentritt-Medal by the Austro-Philippine Society.
Free admission.