DNA now confirms what Thor Heyerdahl proposed decades ago: pre-Columbian contact between South America and Polynesia. Native American DNA has been found in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and some other Polynesian populations; genetic studies show this contact occurred around 800 years ago, before European arrival. Once ridiculed, Heyerdahl's hypothesis of South American influence on Polynesian cultures now has genetic support, though researchers debate whether Polynesians traveled to South America and returned, or whether South Americans reached Polynesia.
DNA evidence confirms pre-Columbian contact between South America and Polynesia
Key facts
- Easter Island contains DNA from South America
- South American populations contain Polynesian DNA
- DNA evidence proves contact between South American and Polynesian cultures
- Thor Heyerdahl was demonized for suggesting South America-Easter Island connection
- Connection is now accepted as standard archaeological fact
- Skeptics initially demanded DNA evidence, now dismiss it
Sources
Indigenous Americans had contact with Polynesians 800 years ago ...theguardian.com
Heyerdahl was convinced that people from Peru had populated the remote Pacific islands, and wanted to show it was possible. But he only got it ...
Native American gene flow into Polynesia predating Easter Island ...pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl controversially suggested that prehistoric South Americans played an important role in the settlement of east Polynesia ...
DNA reveals Native American presence in Polynesia centuries ...nationalgeographic.com
A new DNA study points to the island of Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas as the earliest location for contact between Native Americans and Polynesians.
News - DNA Study Suggests Contact Between Ancient Polynesians ...archaeology.org
The geneticists suggest that Polynesians journeyed to South America, bringing back Zenu individuals to the Marquesas and interbreeding with them. Alternatively, ...
Theory about pre-Columbian contacts between Polynesian ...premodernexplorationatstfx.wordpress.com
In the middle of the 20th century, Thor Heyerdahl established the theory that Polynesian in fact originated from South-America. If this theory ...
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