The timing of the arrival of the first people to Australia has been long disputed. However, most believe and the archaeological evidence suggests that the Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for at least 50,000 years. It is also believed that they migrated from Southeast Asia.

Before European contact, Aboriginal people were hunter-gathers. They were nomadic or semi-nomadic traveling in small groups. Aboriginal religious or spiritual beliefs are referred to as the "Dreamtime" or "Dreaming". The "Dreaming" or "Dreamtime" can refer to several things. The first is it represents the stories of their origin and the creation of the world. It also refers to the spiritual element of contemporary life. Although all Australian Aborigines shared many things in common there were a large number of different groups with their own traditions, beliefs and language.

Europeans began to settle parts of Australia in 1788. The European impact on the Aborigines of Australia was felt immediately. The greatest impacts included: the spread of European diseases, loss of land and natural resources, and conflict between the Europeans and the Aboriginal people. These impacts had a devastating effect on the Aboriginal population causing a drastic decline in the size of the population. As time went on, Australian Aborigines continued to resist European rule. For almost two centuries, the Europeans tried to control the lives of the Aborigines through both laws and force attempting to either assimilate them or dispose of them. Aborigines were discriminated against on every level. This began to change in the 1960¿s when the government began to repeal the discriminatory laws. Just a few of the milestones includes: in 1962 Aborigines were finally given the right to vote and in 1967 a national referendum was passed by an overwhelming vote. This referendum allowed Australian Aborigines to be counted in the census and allowed the government to makes laws to benefit them. Since that time, many laws and committees have been formed to benefit the welfare of the Aboriginal People. However, the Australian Aborigines continue to struggle in many ways.

Today, Aboriginal People live all over the Australian continent and make up more than 2 percent of the Australian population. For the most part they have been urbanized. Although the government has attempted to help their situation in recent years many continue to struggle. The population as a whole suffers from poor health, high unemployment, low wages, high imprison rate and a lack of education.

A large part of the Australian Aborigine community practices "Christianity". However, they have created their own form of Christianity thus allowing them to keep ties to the spiritual aspect of Aboriginal culture. They have combined elements from their culture with elements form Christianity. This type of Christianity is known as "Rainbow Spirit Theology".

Sample Name: Aboriginals

Sample UID: SA001274O

Sample Description:This sample consists of unrelated healthy volunteers or individuals randomly selected from criminal cases from Western Australia

Number of Chromosomes: 1318

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Bagdonavicius A, Turbett GR, Buckleton JS, Walsh SJ "Western Australian sub-population data for the thirteen AMPFISTR Profiler Plus and COfiler STR loci.". J Forensic Sci 47:1149-53. (2002) Online citation.

Sample Name: Pure Aborigine

Sample UID: SA001319O

Sample Description:This sample consists of Aboriginal Australians from Northern Territory , Australia. Individuals were classified as "pure" only if they were known to be full blood Aboriginal people based on the criteria including the presence of a "skin" or tribal name.

Number of Chromosomes: 980

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Ayres KL, Chaseling J, Balding DJ. "Implications for DNA identification arising from an analysis of Australian forensic databases". Forensic Sci Int. 129:90-8. (2002) Online citation.

Sample Name: Aboriginal

Sample UID: SA001266P

Sample Description:This sample consists of Aboriginal from Queensland (480), Northern Territory (560 Full-blooded Aboriginal plus 1697 Declared Aboriginal) , South Australia (119) and Western Australia (659).

Number of Chromosomes: 7030

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Weir BS, Badgondavicius A, Blair B, Eckhoff C, Pearman C, Stringer P, Sutton J, Wynen L, West J "Allele frequency data for profiler plus loci in Australia ". J Forensic Sci. 49:1121-1123. (2004)

Sample Name: Australian Aborigines

Sample UID: SA003251L

Sample Description:This sample consists of Australian aborigines (Worora, Wunambal and Ngarinjin in mowanjum community - outside Derby in Western Kimberley).

Note: This sample information is not fully curated. For additional information about the sample, consult the publications under "References". The sample was entered as part of data submission by Eisenberg DA.

Number of Chromosomes: 128

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Eisenberg DA, Kuzawa, CW, Hayes MG "Worldwide allele frequencies of the human apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene: climate, local adaptations and evolutionary history". American Journal of Physical Anthropology 143:100-11. (2010) Online citation.

- Kamboh MI, Serjeantson SW, Ferrell RE. "Genetic studies of human apolipoproteins. XVIII. Apolipoprotein polymorphisms in Australian Aborigines". Hum Biol. 63:179-86. (1991) Online citation.

Sample Name: Aboriginal Australian

Sample UID: SA002535P

Sample Description:This sample consists of unrelated Aboriginal Australians. This sample was collected as part of anthropological surveys of investigation of non-HIV related medical conditions.

Number of Chromosomes: 196

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Martinson JJ, Chapman NH, Rees DC, Liu YT, Clegg JB. "Global distribution of the CCR5 gene 32-basepair deletion". Nat Genet 16:100-103. (1997) Online citation.

Sample Name: Aborigines

Sample UID: SA000798Y

Sample Description:This sample conisists of individuals from a tropical Aboriginal community in the coastal Kimberley region of northwestern Western Australia. Ancestry was defined as "Aboriginal" if there were no known non-Aboriginal ancestors. All participants gave informed consent.

Number of Chromosomes: 468

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Palmer LJ, Pare PD, Faux JA, Moffatt MF, Daniels SE, LeSouef PN, Bremner PR, Mockford E, Gracey M, Spargo R, Musk AW, Cookson WO. "Fc epsilon R1-beta polymorphism and total serum IgE levels in endemically parasitized Australian aborigines ". Am J Hum Genet 61:182-8. (1997) Online citation.

Sample Name: Declared Aborigine

Sample UID: SA001318N

Sample Description:This sample consists of Aboriginal Australians from Western Australia. Declared Aborigine indicates either self-declaration or assignment by police.

Number of Chromosomes: 734

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Ayres KL, Chaseling J, Balding DJ. "Implications for DNA identification arising from an analysis of Australian forensic databases". Forensic Sci Int. 129:90-8. (2002) Online citation.

Sample Name: Ausralian aboriginies

Sample UID: SA001341J

Sample Description:This sample consists of healthy , unrelated individuals from Adelaide area.

Number of Chromosomes: 156

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Brinkmann B, Junge A, Meyer E, Wiegand P. "Population genetic diversity in relation to microsatellite heterogeneity". Hum Mutat 11:135-144. (1998) Online citation.

- Rolf B, Waterkamp K, Huhne J. "Allele frequency data for the FGA locus in eight populations". Int J Legal Med. 111:55-6. (1998) Online citation.

Sample Name: Aborigines

Sample UID: SA000868W

Sample Description:This sample consists of healthy unrelated Australian Aborigine adults from the Adelaide area.

Number of Chromosomes: 150

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Brinkmann B, Junge A, Meyer E, Wiegand P. "Population genetic diversity in relation to microsatellite heterogeneity". Hum Mutat 11:135-144. (1998) Online citation.

- Takeshita H, Meyer E, Brinkmann B. "The STR loci HumTPO and HumLPL: population genetic data in eight populations". Int J Legal Med. 110:331-3. . (1997) Online citation.

Sample Name: Aboriginal

Sample UID: SA002062K

Sample Description:This sample consists of Australian Aborigine individuals. This sample was donated to Dr. David B. Goldstein's lab through previous collaborations.

Number of Chromosomes: 16

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Soranzo N, Bufe B, Sabeti PC, Wilson JF, Weale ME, Marguerie R, Meyerhof W, Goldstein DB. "Positive selection on a high-sensitivity allele of the human bitter-taste receptor TAS2R16". Curr Biol. 15:1257-1265. (2005) Online citation.

Sample Name: Mowanjum

Sample UID: SA001208L

Sample Description:This sample consists of individuals from the Mowanjum Aboriginal group in northwest Australia.

Number of Chromosomes: 68

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Chen LZ, Easteal S, Board PG, Kirk RL. "Evolution of beta-globin haplotypes in human populations". Mol Biol Evol. 7:423-437. (1990) Online citation.

Sample Name: Indigenious Australians

Sample UID: SA003379W

Sample Description:This sample consists of Indigenous from South East Queensland.

Note: This sample information is not fully curated. For additional information about the sample, consult the publications under "References". The sample was entered as part of data submission by Eisenberg DA.

Number of Chromosomes: 310

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Eisenberg DA, Kuzawa, CW, Hayes MG "Worldwide allele frequencies of the human apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene: climate, local adaptations and evolutionary history". American Journal of Physical Anthropology 143:100-11. (2010) Online citation.

- Shaw JT, Tate J, Kesting JB, Marczak M, Berkholz JR, Lovelock PK, Purdie D, Hickman P, Cameron DP. "Apolipoprotein E polymorphism in indigenous Australians: allelic frequencies and relationship with dyslipidaemia". Med J Aust. 170:161-4.. (1999) Online citation.

Sample Name: Declared Aborigine

Sample UID: SA001317M

Sample Description:This sample consists of Aboriginal Australians from Queensland , Australia. Declared Aborigine indicates either self-declaration or assignment by police.

Number of Chromosomes: 356

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Ayres KL, Chaseling J, Balding DJ. "Implications for DNA identification arising from an analysis of Australian forensic databases". Forensic Sci Int. 129:90-8. (2002) Online citation.

Sample Name: Kalumburu

Sample UID: SA001207K

Sample Description:This sample consists of individuals from the Kalumburu Aboriginal group in northwest Australia.

Number of Chromosomes: 72

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Chen LZ, Easteal S, Board PG, Kirk RL. "Evolution of beta-globin haplotypes in human populations". Mol Biol Evol. 7:423-437. (1990) Online citation.

Sample Name: Declared Aborigine

Sample UID: SA001316L

Sample Description:This sample consists of Aboriginal Australians from Northern Territory , Australia. Declared Aborigine indicates either self-declaration or assignment by police.

Number of Chromosomes: 774

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Ayres KL, Chaseling J, Balding DJ. "Implications for DNA identification arising from an analysis of Australian forensic databases". Forensic Sci Int. 129:90-8. (2002) Online citation.

Sample Name: Australian Aborigine

Sample UID: SA002342L

Sample Description:This sample consists of Australian Aborigine individuals. Informed consent was obtained.

Number of Chromosomes: 28

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Su B, Jin L, Hu F, Xiao J, Luo J, Lu D, Zhang W, Chu J, Du R, Geng Z, Qiu X, Xue J, Tan J, O'Brien SJ, Chakraborty R "Distribution of two HIV-1-resistant polymorphisms (SDF1-3'A and CCR2-64I) in East Asian and world populations and its implication in AIDS epidemiology". Am J Hum Genet. 65:1047-53. (1999) Online citation.

- Su B, Sun G, Lu D, Xiao J, Hu F, Chakraborty R, Deka R, Jin L "Distribution of three HIV-1 resistance-conferring polymorphisms (SDF1-3'A, CCR2-641, and CCR5-delta32) in global populations". Eur J Hum Genet. 8:975-9. (2000) Online citation.

Sample Name: Australian Aborigines

Sample UID: SA002112G

Sample Description:This sample consists of unrelated male and female Australian Aborigines from Australia.

Number of Chromosomes: 44

Relation to Other Samples:

References:
- Goedde HW, Agarwal DP, Fritze G, Meier-Tackmann D, Singh S, Beckmann G, Bhatia K, Chen LZ, Fang B, Lisker R "Distribution of ADH2 and ALDH2 genotypes in different populations". Hum Genet. 88:344-6. (1992) Online citation.

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© 2012 Kenneth K Kidd, Yale University. All rights reserved. The full Copyright Notification is also available.
Originally prototyped by Michael Osier with the aid of Kei Cheung
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