ABOVE: Sunrise at the Tongariki site on Rapa Nui
ANDRES MORÉNO ESTRADA
The Polynesian islands that span the southern part of the Pacific Ocean—the eastern most of which is Rapa Nui, or Easter Island—were initially settled by a wave of migration from Asia. It’s been less certain, though, when and whether ancient Native Americans and Polynesian islanders made contact. Architectural similarities between Polynesian and Native American ceremonial sites, agricultural clues—for instance, the presence on the islands of the sweet potato, which is endemic to the Americas—and some genomic data have indicated that Native Americans and Polynesians met before Europeans came on the scene. But a 2017 analysis of ancient remains from five Rapanui individuals found no genetic evidence of Native American ancestry.
In a study published today (July 8) in Nature, researchers analyzed the genomes of more than 800 people currently living in the islands and determined that there was likely ...
