New data reveals severe impact of introduced diseases on Pacific islands | Matangitonga
Updated on Monday, November 21, 2022 – 22:25.
Pacific island nations suffered severe depopulation from introduced diseases as a consequence of contact with European vessels, a new study from The Australian National University (ANU) shows.
The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, indicates population declines were a lot larger than previously thought.
According to the study, the main island of Tonga had a population decline of between 70 and 86 per cent once Europeans made contact.
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The research has been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.
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