Further evidence of an Amerindian contribution to the Polynesian gene pool on Easter Island

Abstract

Available evidence suggests a Polynesian origin of the Easter Island population. We recently found that some native Easter Islanders also carried some common American Indian (Amerindian) human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, which probably were introduced before Europeans discovered the island in 1722. In this study, we report molecular genetic investigations of 21 other selected native Easter Islanders. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome markers showed no traces of an Amerindian contribution. However, high-resolution genomic HLA typing showed that two individuals carried some other common Amerindian HLA alleles, different from those found in our previous investigations. The new data support our previous evidence of an Amerindian contribution to the gene pool on Easter Island.

The Polynesian gene pool: an early contribution by Amerindians to Easter Island

“…The results have been reported in detail elsewhere [29] and will be only briefly summarized here. (c) Genomic HLA data Because the 21 investigated individuals were unrelated their HLA haplotypes had to be estimated, using methods described in Thorsby et al [29]. Seven of the probable HLA haplotypes found were identical to some found in our previous studies, including haplotype c (see above).…”

Genome-wide Ancestry Patterns in Rapanui Suggest Pre-European Admixture with Native Americans

“…Previous genetic studies performed on selected loci (mtDNA, Y chromosome, and HLA complex) [15,16,18] have supported a Polynesian origin of Rapanui. However, a series of archaeological and genetic observations suggest contact between East Polynesians (including Rapanui) and Native Americans prior to the first contact with Europeans.…”

“…71-93). Finally, genetic studies of the HLA complex [15][16][17] have identified alleles in Rapanui that are at high frequencies in Native American populations. Lie et al [15] presented evidence that these alleles were introduced prior to the slave raids of the 1860s and concluded that their presence in the population may have predated the first European contact in AD 1722, although data were insufficient to establish this unequivocally (see [17] for review).…”

“…Moreover, in the following decade, the population continued to decline owing to diseases introduced by repatriated individuals, eventually reaching as few as 110 inhabitants ( [1], p. 167). An additional consequence of this contact was a changing genetic composition owing to increased gene flow with outside populations [14][15][16][17].…”

Påskeøya – tidlige genetiske spor etter amerikanske indianere

“…Vi har i tre studier undersøkt blodprøver fra beboere på Påskeøya som stammer fra den tidlige befolkningen på øya (1)(2)(3). Med DNA-teknologi utførte vi typebestemmelser for mitokondrie-DNA og Y-kromosommarkører samt for alle kjente HLAgenvarianter.…”