Mamanwa, a Filipino tribe, has ‘south of Africa’ roots
<http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/341937>
By Antonio Figueroa
Jan 23, 2013 in Science 
  A small Philippine tribe known as the Mamanwa has been found by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany as scions of African migrants who left Africa via the southern backdoor.
  The Mamanwas inhabit the regions of “Agusan del Norte, Surigao del  Norte, Surigao del Sur, Panaoan Island, and in the mountains of  Southern Leyte. The Mamanwan dialect is bordered on the north and  east by Suriganon; on the west by a mixed vernacular of Surigaonon  and Cebuano; on the southwest by Butuanon; and on the southeast by  Bislig Kamayo.”
  The genetic study found evidence that around 4,000 years ago, some Africans took the southern route in migrating out of the continent towards India and then to Australia by way of Sahul (joint Australia-New Guinea landmass).
  It was also discovered that populations inhabiting Australia, New Guinea and, in particular, the Mamanwa tribe of southern Philippines, have common genetic origin. 
  Anthropologically, the Australian aborigines, whose arrival in the continent down under was placed at around 45,000 years ago, are regarded as “one of the oldest continuous populations outside Africa”
  The same study found genetic variations from across the genome from aboriginal Australians, New Guineans, island Southeast Asians, and Indians, which strongly suggest that there was a substantial gene flow from India to Australia 4,230 years ago, which is the equivalent of 141 generations ago. 
  The migration to Australia, moreover, took place during the Holocene and pre-European contact.
  The Mamanwas, meaning “forest dwellers”, broke away from its common origin some 36,000 years ago long before Sahul separated into islands due to rising sea wa-ters that occurred around 8,000 years ago.
  The Mamanwa people, with their population dwindling, rely for their staple food on tubers, nuts, wild fruits, and honey. With the advent of civilization, they have adopted the ways of the modern man.
  For hunting in the wild, they used a variety of snares, and always used the ‘bayatik’ (spear traps) and the ‘gahong’ (pit traps) in tracking animals like deer, wild pigs, monitor lizards, iguanas,  monkeys and large birds.
  As an organized group, the Mamanwas respect their elders who, by tradition, have control over the tribe’s judicial affairs and are at the helm when it comes to maintaining peace and order within the band.'
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