Bajau Laut Genetic Adaptation

However the data do show that the bajau diverged from the non diving saluan around 15 000 years ago.

Bajau laut genetic adaptation. Or are known by the exonym bajau ˈ b ɑː dʒ aʊ ˈ b æ also spelled badjao bajaw badjau badjaw bajo or bayao. The larger spleen size may simply be a secondary effect of the increased cell volume. The bajau people of southeast asia are among the most accomplished divers in the world. The deepest dive recorded by the free diving bajau laut people of southeast asia was to an impressive 79 metres 259 feet and the longest time spent underwater by them was just over three minutes.

The sama bajau refers to several austronesian ethnic groups of maritime southeast asia with their origins from the southern philippines the name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the sama or samah formally a a sama sama people. The bbc reports the bajau people of southeast asia can hold their breath for up to five minutes and they can do it while diving to depths of more than 200 feet underwater. She remembers diving with pai. The bajau laut a sea faring hunter gatherer tribe with a 1 000 plus year history in the southeast asian islands are known for their remarkable free diving ability.

Adaptation history and fate in a maritime fishing society of south eastern sabah. The bajau laut have been sea nomads for centuries. Sea nomads are first known humans genetically adapted to diving for hundreds of years the bajau have lived at sea and natural selection may have made them genetically stronger divers. In the summer of 2015 melissa ilardo got to see how good they are firsthand.

According to an. In the waters they call home around the philippines malaysia and indonesia they dive to incredible depths for pearls and for food living off. This result strongly suggests that the bajau harbor genetic variation that has been targeted by selection related to phenotypes of importance for diving.