A new study analyzing ancient DNA from 15 Rapa Nui individuals has debunked the theory that Easter Island population suffered a collapse. The analysis also revealed genetic evidence of early contact between the island’s inhabitants and Native Americans.
Also Read: A Boy Accidentally Smashes a 3500-Year-Old Jar at Hecht Museum
An international team of researchers conducted a study of ancient DNA from 15 individuals who lived on Rapa Nui between 1670 and 1950. They found no evidence supporting the idea of a population decline before European contact in 1722.
The theory that the indigenous people of Rapa Nui caused their own collapse through deforestation has been widely debunked by archaeologists, anthropologists and now geneticists.
The DNA study also revealed that the Rapanui people had contact with Indigenous American populations, evidenced by the fact that about 10% of their DNA comes from Indigenous Americans. This suggests that the Rapanui may have reached the Americas centuries before European explorers.
For decades, historians and researchers have believed that Easter Island known as Rapa Nui experienced a self-inflicted population collapse.
This theory was popularized by author Jared Diamond in his 2005 book Collapse, posited that the island’s inhabitants overexploited their resources leading to deforestation, warfare and societal collapse.
The analysis was published in Nature. After studying the genomes of 15 ancient individuals from Rapa Nui, researchers found no evidence of a genetic bottleneck, which would have indicated a sudden population collapse.
Instead, the population remained relatively stable until the 1860s when external factors including Peruvian slave raids and European diseases, reduced the island’s inhabitants.
Contrary to estimates suggesting that the island once housed up to 15,000 people, the new study concluded that the population never exceeded 3,000 individuals. This figure aligns with reports from the first European explorers who arrived in the early 18th century.
According to the DNA analysis, the Rapa Nui population steadily grew from the island’s initial settlement until the mid-19th century. The research does not support claims of a population decline before European contact.
The decline occurred after the 1860s due to external factors. Peruvian slave traders captured approximately one-third of the population and those who remained were ravaged by diseases introduced by Europeans.
By the end of this period, the population had dwindled to just around 110 individuals. The Peruvian slave raids were a devastating factor in Rapa Nui’s history causing a population decrease.
Also Read: Homo Floresiensis: Fossils of Hobbit Humans Found on Indonesian’s Flores
One of the discoveries of the DNA study is the genetic evidence that Rapa Nui inhabitants had contact with Native Americans. The study identified that about 10% of the genome of ancient Rapa Nui individuals was of Native American origin.
Genetic mixing likely occurred between 1250 and 1430, well before Europeans made contact with the island in 1722. This suggests that Rapa Nui’s inhabitants either traveled to the Americas or that Native Americans reached the island.
The new evidence supports the theory that Polynesians, known for their seafaring abilities, could have made long voyages to the Americas.
It is also possible that Indigenous groups from South America sailed westward and reached the island.
Jared Diamond’s ecocide theory, which suggested that the inhabitants destroyed their environment and drove their society to collapse, has been challenged by archaeological and genetic research.
The DNA study along with other research suggests that Rapa Nui’s population decline had more to do with external forces rather than self-destruction.
The analysis indicates that the island’s small population adapted to its limited resources over centuries, managing their ecosystem without triggering a collapse.
A separate 2023 study using satellite imagery and machine learning found that the island’s rock gardens, used to enrich the soil, were designed to support a small population. This supports the idea that the island’s inhabitants sustainably managed their environment.
The research team obtained ancient DNA from 15 individuals whose remains were taken from the island during European colonization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
These remains are currently held in museums in France. The study received approval from Rapa Nui community representatives and the results are expected to aid in the repatriation of the remains to the island.
The research team worked with Rapa Nui authorities throughout the process to ensure respect for the island’s cultural heritage.
The genomic data reconstructed the population dynamics of Rapa Nui over the past 100 generations. Researchers found that 90% of the DNA in ancient Rapa Nui individuals was Polynesian in origin, with the remaining 10% indicating Native American ancestry.
Also Read: Prince Hisahito Becomes First Royal Male in Japan to Reach Adulthood in 39 Years
