No trace of early contact between Rapanui and South Americans in ancient DNA

(Cell Press) Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) has long been a source of intrigue and mystery. How did such a small community of people build so many impressively large statues? And what happened to cause that community to collapse? Researchers have also been curious about what kind of contact Rapa Nui's inhabitants might have had with South Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. Earlier evidence seemed to support early contact between the Rapanui and Native Americans.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news