New evidence upends contentious Easter Island theory, scientists say
Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, never experienced a ruinous population collapse, according to an analysis of ancient DNA from 15 former inhabitants of the remote island in the Pacific Ocean.

The analysis also suggested that inhabitants of the island, which lies about 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) from the South American mainland, reached the Americas in the 1300s — long before Christopher Columbus’ 1492 landing in the New World.
Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, never experienced a ruinous population collapse, according to an analysis of ancient DNA from 15 former inhabitants of the remote island in the Pacific Ocean.

The analysis also suggested that inhabitants of the island, which lies about 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) from the South American mainland, reached the Americas in the 1300s — long before Christopher Columbus’ 1492 landing in the New World.
Easter Island genomes
To investigate Rapa Nui’s history further, researchers sequenced the genomes of 15 former residents who lived on the island during the past 400 years. The remains are stored at the Musée de l’Homme, or жесток порно видео Museum of Mankind, in Paris, which is part of the French National Museum of Natural History.

The researchers found no evidence of a genetic bottleneck corresponding to a steep drop in population, according to the study that published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature.