Genetic study traces Native Hawaiian origins to Mangareva, reveals health risks from founder effect
Stanford-led research finds closest ties between Hawaii and Rapa Nui, identifies mutations linked to rare diseases
A new genetic study has traced the origins of Native Hawaiians to the island of Mangareva, revealing that the closest genetic ties exist between the two most isolated islands in Polynesia: Hawaii and Rapa Nui. The research, published in Science, also identified three harmful mutations that arose from repeated population bottlenecks experienced by small groups voyaging across the Pacific.