DNA study links Native Hawaiians and Rapa Nui to common ancestors

A genetic study published in the journal Science reveals that Native Hawaiians and the people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) share a close ancestral connection, despite the islands being separated by approximately 7,000 kilometers.

By analyzing whole-genome sequences from over 1,000 individuals across Polynesia, researchers identified that these two remote populations are each other’s closest relatives among the groups sampled. The study suggests both populations descend from a group of “ultravoyagers” who likely originated from Mangareva in French Polynesia.

The research indicates that a subset of people who reached Rapa Nui from Mangareva in the 1200s may have later set out to settle Hawaiʻi. The findings highlight intense cumulative founder effects, where genetic diversity decreases significantly with each successive migration event.