DNA Study Adds Another Piece to the Puzzle of Pacific Colonisation | HeritageDaily

What do you do if you have limited historical data and a lot of questions awaiting answers? You turn to genetic research.

This is what researchers did when trying to reconstruct the routes of ancient Polynesians, who left behind little archaeological evidence but a tiny yet powerful indicator: a genetic trail. Scientists have used DNA analysis to recreate their heroic voyages through time and space, spanning over 500 years and more than 5,000 kilometres of treacherous waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The settlement of Polynesia is one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of human…