1200AD

Native Americans reached Polynesia 800 years ago by raft and interbred with local islanders — centuries before European explorers arrived in the Pacific. Researchers from the US and Mexico used large-scale genetic analyses to show that modern-day Polynesian populations contain traces of Native American DNA. Statistical analysis revealed that prehistoric Polynesian populations first met and … Read more

Native Americans from modern-day Colombia reached Polynesia around 1200 AD on a Kon-Tiki-like voyage, colonising the area before Europeans reached Easter Island. Researchers from the US and Mexico used large-scale genetic analyses to show that modern-day Polynesian populations contain traces of Native American DNA. Statistical analysis revealed that prehistoric Polynesian populations first met and interbred … Read more