| Abstract: |
Physical characteristics of Polynesians have been closely scrutinised in the light of osteology, somatology, human genetics and growth study. It has been proved that the Polynesian physique is very unique in relation to common standards for Homo sapiens, and that their distinctiveness is phenotypically a form of hypermorphism. This Polynesian hypermorphic phenotype may have developed as the result of some evolutionary change like an ecological r-strategic adaptation in the process of colonising uninhabited islands in Oceania. At the same time, a fair number of Polynesian physical characteristics are quite similar to those of Mongoloid populations in Asia proper. This implies that the Polynesian's remote origins were somewhere in Asia, specifically the East China Sea area. Thus Polynesians, while distinctive, should be one of Asiatic Mongoloid populations, who have adapted to Oceanic environments in a very specialised way.
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