Native American gene flow into Polynesia predating Easter Island settlement

Area of Science:

• Population Genetics
• Archaeogenetics
• Human Migration

Background:

• The potential for prehistoric voyaging contact between Polynesian and Native American populations remains a topic of scientific debate.
• Evidence such as the presence of New World crops (e.g., sweet potato, bottle gourd) in Polynesia has fueled theories of trans-Pacific contact.
• Previous genetic studies have yielded conflicting results, leaving the question unresolved.

Observation:

• This study analyzed genome-wide variation in 807 individuals from 17 Polynesian island populations and 15 Pacific coast Native American groups.
• The research sought definitive genetic markers indicating admixture between these populations.

Findings:

• Conclusive evidence of prehistoric contact between Polynesian and Native American individuals around AD 1200 was identified.
• This contact occurred contemporaneously with the settlement of remote Oceania.
• Genetic analyses strongly suggest a single contact event in eastern Polynesia, prior to the settlement of Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
• The Native American group involved is most closely related to indigenous populations of present-day Colombia.

Implications:

• This finding provides strong genetic support for pre-Columbian trans-Pacific voyaging and interaction.
• It offers a potential explanation for the presence of certain American crops in the Polynesian archaeological record.
• The study resolves a long-standing debate in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and genetics.