Genes reveal how and when humans reached remote corners of Pacific
The islands settled most recently have the least genetic diversity
THE COLONISATION of the Pacific Ocean was one of the great feats of human navigation. Groups of a few dozen people, travelling in canoes carved from trees, discovered and settled hundreds of tiny islands separated by vast spans of open water. They found their way using the stars, dead reckoning and study of the wind.
This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline “To the ends of the Earth”
Graphic detail September 25th 2021
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