Ancient DNA reveals five streams of migration into Micronesia and matrilocality in early Pacific seafarers

Micronesia began to be peopled earlier than other parts of Remote Oceania, but the origins of its inhabitants remain unclear. We generated genome-wide data from 164 ancient and 112 modern individuals. Analysis reveals five migratory streams into Micronesia. Three are East Asian related, one is Polynesian, and a fifth is a Papuan source related to mainland New Guineans that is different from the New Britain-related Papuan source for southwest Pacific populations but is similarly derived from male migrants similar to 2500 to 2000 years ago. People of the Mariana Archipelago may derive all of their precolonial ancestry from East Asian sources, making them the only Remote Oceanians without Papuan ancestry. Female-inherited mitochondrial DNA was highly differentiated across early Remote Oceanian communities but homogeneous within, implying matrilocal practices whereby women almost never raised their children in communities different from the ones in which they grew up.

Automated summary

The study reveals the presence of five migratory streams in Micronesia, including three from East Asia, one from Polynesia, and one from mainland New Guinea. The people of the Mariana Archipelago may derive all their precolonial ancestry from East Asia, making them unique among the Remote Oceanians.