AUSTRALASIAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Australasian mean? 

• AUSTRALASIAN (adjective)
  The adjective AUSTRALASIAN has 1 sense:

1. relating to or found in Australasia

  Familiarity information: AUSTRALASIAN used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AUSTRALASIAN (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relating to or found in Australasia

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, and neighboring islands in the South Pacific)

Derivation:

Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, and neighboring islands in the South Pacific)

 Context examples 

The study also revealed surprising traces of Australasian ancestry in ancient South American Native Americans but no Australasian genetic link was found in North American Native Americans.

(Ancient DNA analysis unlocks secrets of Ice Age tribes in the Americas, University of Cambridge)

Dr Victor Moreno-Mayar, from the Centre for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen and first author of the study, said: We discovered the Australasian signal was absent in Native Americans prior to the Spirit Cave and Lagoa Santa population split which means groups carrying this genetic signal were either already present in South America when Native Americans reached the region, or Australasian groups arrived later.

(Ancient DNA analysis unlocks secrets of Ice Age tribes in the Americas, University of Cambridge)