In Photos: Ancient Skeletons Reveal the Ancestors of Polynesians

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Lapita skull

DNA extracted from more or less 3,000 - year - old skull found on the island of Vanuatu ( show up here ) reveals that the first people to square off Polynesia came from Taiwan or northern Philippines . The skull was found inside a vessel made by the Lapita , the ancient culture that colonize all of Polynesia .

Ancient skeleton

An approximately 3,000 year old inhumation in the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu that is informant of one of the ancient DNA sample reported on in this study . It is a triangular bone arranging , with skulls at each vertex , consist on the legs of a underframe without a skull .

Broader region

The spacious region of Oceania , is often broken up into Polynesia , Melanesia and Micronesia . However , evidence suggest that the first dweller of many of these island were likely the Lapita people , who hail from somewhere near Taiwan or the Philipines .

Another view

Here , another aspect of the Vanuatu skeleton .

First inhabitants

A skeleton unearthed on the island of Vanuatu has let out the first inhabitants of Polynesia .

Vanuatu today

Two modern - day children in Vanuatu fun . While tpeople of Vanuatu are classified as Melanesian , meaning their ancestry is secretive to people of Papua New Guinea , the first inhabitants of the island likely came from Taiwan .

Modern-day Tongans

Here , citizenry from Tonga celebrate arriver of Fuifui Moimoi on his home island on November 17 , 2013 in Tonga . Fuifui is Tonga international representative forrad in rugby league . New evidence suggests the first indweller of Tonga arrived from Taiwan or the northerly Philippines .

Solomon Islander

People on the Solomon Islands , near New Guinea , are considered part of the Melanesian culture grouping . Genetically , however , they belike dissent from other people of the Pacific Islands only in the relative percentage of Papuan or Asian ancestry they hold .

Papuan Woman

Portrait of a papuan woman from a korowai folk . New Guinea Wild Jungle . May 15 , 2016

skull from vanuatu

Vanuatu skeleton

pacific islands

ancient skeleton from vanuatu

vanuatu skeleton

vanuatu school children

people of tonga

A blond-haired Solomon Island child smiles for the camera

Papua new guinean woman

Photo of the right side of a lower jawbone (mandible). It is reddish brown and has several blackened teeth.

Against the background of a greenish and red rock are two images: one of a human skeleton emerging from the dirt and one of archaeologists in hard hats excavating it

Four women dressed in red are sitting on green grass. In the foreground, we see another person�s hands spinning wool into yarn.

A human skull stares at the viewer. It is wrapped in thick cords and covered in an ancient textile. Its jaws hang open.

an excavated human skeleton curled up in the ground

Indigenous San people walk through the landscape in Botswana, Africa.

magic mushroom, mushroom, shroom

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