Genetic study links Native Hawaiians to Easter Island ancestors

Researchers analyzed the DNA of more than 1,000 modern-day Polynesians and discovered that Native Hawaiians share a close genetic link with people from Easter Island.

The team published these findings in the journal Science. The results suggest that a group of skilled seafarers traveled roughly 4,400 miles from Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, to settle the Hawaiian Islands nearly 1,000 years ago. The study used genomes from 1,050 individuals, including 317 Native Hawaiians and 12 Easter Islanders.

By examining the length of shared chromosomal segments, the researchers reconstructed thousands of family trees. They found that in 61 percent of these trees, Hawaii and Rapa Nui were paired together. This connection aligns with archaeological data and suggests a specific migration pattern where these remote islands were settled by a group the researchers call Holomoana Nui. The study also revealed that these migration patterns created significant genetic vulnerabilities for Polynesian communities.

Because small groups of people founded these new settlements, the resulting gene pool had limited diversity. This founder effect increased the prevalence of rare genetic variants associated with diseases. The researchers noted that these genetic bottlenecks are even stronger than those found in other groups like the Amish or Ashkenazi Jews. Because of these findings, the researchers suggest that Native Hawaiians need more urgent attention from geneticists.

They identified three specific genetic variants linked to kidney or vision issues that appear in 2 to 3 percent of the Eastern Polynesians in the study. The team advocates for the establishment of genetic screening recommendations to address these health risks.