The first ancient human genomes analyzed from Papua New Guinea reveal that some of the early groups that lived there were completely genetically isolated from their neighbors, showing there was little intermarriage at multiple points in time, a new study finds.
New Guinea is the second largest island in the world, after Greenland. It and its outlying isles were vital launch points for early seafaring journeys into the wider Pacific, culminating with the settlement of some of the last islands on Earth to be permanently inhabited, scientists noted. However, until now, much remained unknown about its ancient genetic history.
