An international team of researchers has unlocked ancient genomes (aDNA) from Papua New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago for the very first time. By combining aDNA, dietary evidence, and linguistics, the team has learned more about the migration of many ancient Pacific peoples, including the ancestors of the Māori.

A new study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, describes this use of aDNA as acting like a “time machine,” allowing us to travel back to the ancient past and recover surprising details about culture, history, and community.

“This groundbreaking research reveals something remarkable: Pacific Island cultures were far more diverse and complex than we ever imagined,” said Monica Tromp, from Southern Pacific Archaeological Research, in a press release. “Rather than being one unified group, these ancient communities represented a rich tapestry of different cultures and peoples.”

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Did Ancient Pacific Island Populations Merge?

One of the main questions that aDNA has helped answer is about the migration and settlement of early Pacific Islanders. More specifically, scientists have been curious about whether those who first settled in the islands of Western Remote Oceania mixed with those who migrated from New Guinea, or did the genetic mixing occur elsewhere?

The new study supports the theory that the two populations likely mixed on the islands themselves rather than before their arrival. This was confirmed thanks to the discovery of individuals with Papuan ancestry on the island of Watom in the Bismarck Archipelago, which also points towards the advanced seafaring skills of these communities.

“They were some of the world’s greatest explorers and navigators, [setting] sail into the endless blue horizon centuries before Europeans ever dared venture far from their own coastlines,” said Tromp in the press release.

Additionally, an analysis of two communities, 500 to 150 years old, living along the South Coast of Papua New Guinea, revealed more interesting insights. These two populations, who lived close to one another, showed evidence of cultural connections and trade relations.

“Surprisingly, their ancestries diverged 650 years ago, despite the absence of geographical borders. This divergence suggests the communities were shaped by distinct interaction spheres and cultural influences, with implications for our understanding of ancient trade networks and social dynamics,” said Rebecca Kinaston, from BioArch South, in the press release.

Rewriting Pacific Island History

The Pacific Island region has always held incredible historical importance; New Guinea, in particular, was settled over 50,000 years ago and played a crucial role in early seafaring, serving as a launching point for the wider Pacific.

Those ancient Pacific peoples, known as the Lapita, who spent much of their lives seafaring, traveled great distances, and there is evidence of their art and horticultural practices in places like Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa.

The island of Watom, where this study found the genetic materials of ancient Papuans, is also the location where early 20th-century missionaries first discovered Lapita-style pottery. The excavated individuals whose genetic material was used for this study are younger than the pottery, meaning that their populations did not biologically mix, although they were both present on the island.

Using ancient genomes to learn more about our ancestors is an exciting scientific advancement. In the case of Pacific Islanders, it is giving researchers a closer-than-ever look into the genetic diversity and historical dynamics of these understudied populations.

“This DNA analysis that made these discoveries possible would have been completely impossible just a decade ago,” said Tromp in the press release. “Hot, humid tropical climates typically destroy genetic material, but new techniques have opened up entirely new chapters of human history that were previously lost to us.”

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As the marketing coordinator at Discover Magazine, Stephanie Edwards interacts with readers across Discover’s social media channels and writes digital content. Offline, she is a contract lecturer in English & Cultural Studies at Lakehead University, teaching courses on everything from professional communication to Taylor Swift, and received her graduate degrees in the same department from McMaster University. You can find more of her science writing in Lab Manager and her short fiction in anthologies and literary magazine across the horror genre.