Lapita skull
DNA extracted from roughly 3,000-year-old skull found on the island of Vanuatu (shown here) reveals that the first people to settle Polynesia came from Taiwan or northern Philippines. The skull was found inside a vessel made by the Lapita, the ancient culture that colonized all of Polynesia.
Ancient skeleton
An approximately 3,000 year old burial in the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu that is source of one of the ancient DNA samples reported on in this study. It is a triangular bone arrangement, with skulls at each vertex, lying on the legs of a skeleton without a skull.
Broader region
The broader region of Oceania, is often broken up into Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. However, evidence suggests that the first inhabitants of many of these islands were likely the Lapita people, who came from somewhere near Taiwan or the Philipines.
Another view
Here, another view of the Vanuatu skeleton.
First inhabitants
A skeleton unearthed on the island of Vanuatu has revealed the first inhabitants of Polynesia.
Vanuatu today
Two modern-day children in Vanuatu play. While tpeople of Vanuatu are classified as Melanesian, meaning their ancestry is closer to people of Papua New Guinea, the first inhabitants of the island likely came from Taiwan.
Modern-day Tongans
Here, people from Tonga celebrate arrival of Fuifui Moimoi on his home island on November 17, 2013 in Tonga. Fuifui is Tonga international representative forward in rugby league. New evidence suggests the first inhabitants of Tonga arrived from Taiwan or the northern Philippines.
Solomon Islander
People on the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea, are considered part of the Melanesian culture group. Genetically, however, they likely differ from other people of the Pacific Islands only in the relative percentage of Papuan or Asian ancestry they carry.
Papuan Woman
Portrait of a papuan woman from a korowai tribe. New Guinea Wild Jungle . May 15, 2016
