Pama-Nyungan, Proto-Pama-Nyungan,
Torres Strait Islander and Papuan Languages

Genetic studies published between 2016 and 2025 confirm that First Nations peoples of Australia and Papua are direct descendants of common ancestors originating from the Sunda Peninsula or within Sahul. Scientists now agree that these ancestors arrived in Sahul around 60,000 years ago, rather than the previously estimated 45,000 years ago.

After the Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, the human population in Australia and Papua grew significantly during the Holocene Epoch due to a more favorable and wetter climate. In Papua, agriculture began around 10,000 years ago, which further increased population density. In contrast, Australia continued to rely primarily on hunting and gathering during this period. This era also saw the spread of new languages, which eventually developed into what is now known as the Pama-Nyungan language family.