8 Oct 2026 · Eastern Polynesia, Chile
Genomes trace Rapa Nui and Hawaiʻi to the same voyagers
Whole-genome sequences from across Polynesia show some of the strongest founder effects known in any population. Hawaiʻi and Rapa Nui are among the most bottlenecked and, despite their distance, are each other’s closest relatives, likely settled by the same voyagers with roots in Mangareva.
Why it matters: It shows the scale of Polynesian long-distance voyaging and who settled Easter Island.
Site guide: Easter Island (Rapa Nui) · Source: Shanks et al. 2026, Science ↗
