Vanuatu Research Articles

"Feeling at home in Vanuatu": Integration of newcomers from the East during the last millennium.

Several localities across the Vanuatu archipelago (Melanesia), so-called 'Polynesian Outliers', are inhabited by communities that display Polynesian linguistic and cultural features although being located outside the Polynesian Triangle. Several introductions of Polynesian genetic components to Central and Southern Vanuatu during the last millenium have resulted in the cultural distinctiveness observed among the Polynesian Outliers in Vanuatu. However, social, political or economic process surrounding the exchange of genes between Polynesian and local individuals remain unidentified. Recent bioanthropological studies suggest the existence of female mobilities from neighboring regions to Vanuatu but also to the Polynesian Outliers of Taumako (Solomon Islands) within patrilocal societies. We aim to examine the hypothesis that Polynesian biological affinities observed in ancient individuals from Vanuatu are gendered or sex-specific, and that some of the Polynesian migrations during the last millennium may have involved practices of exogamy. By reconstructing phenotypes and biological identities from 13 archaeologically-recovered human skulls (400-300 years ago) from "Polynesian-related" regions of Vanuatu, we provide new insights to better contextualize the settlement patterns of Polynesian individuals. Eastern-Pacific associated phenotype are observable in 4 women from the Eretok burial complex (Efate region) and the Polynesian Outlier of Futuna, who were buried in close proximity to individuals with Western-Pacific associated phenotype. We suggest that close integration of individuals from the East into the local Vanuatu society, as well as the practice of exogamy, might have been key processes contributing to the preservation of Polynesian cultural features in Vanuatu over the past millennium. Our finding are cross-referenced with oral records from these two areas, as well as the known genetic makeup of the Vanuatu Polynesian Outliers.

ADNA, ethnography, and facial approximations of the Teouma Lapita burials (c. 3000BP)

Although ancient DNA (aDNA) cannot predict the facial appearance of skeletal human remains, knowing which extant populations are most closely related to the deceased has proven to be invaluable in rectifying two early facial approximations (popularly known as facial reconstruction) undertaken 15 years ago. These concerned two of the crania excavated from the Lapita burial site at Teouma on the island of Efate, and are associated with the first human arrival in the Vanuatu archipelago approximately 3000 years ago. This experimental revision to incorporate aDNA into both the methods and results has found there are advantages of knowing the genetic affiliation for estimating facial appearance. Specifically, we have found that this knowledge (i) facilitates identifying which of the current statistically valid predictors of the facial features are the most appropriate, (ii) informs the depiction of sexually dimorphic patterns of facial aging, and (iii) guides the portrayal of the subtle facial morphologies that fall outside what is currently provided by statistically validated skull-soft tissue algorithms and inter-relationships.

A story of vicariance? how the geology of oceanic archipelagos influenced the evolutionary history of endemic damselflies

South Pacific islands provide an ideal study system to explore patterns of speciation, specifically examining the role of dispersal versus vicariance. Dispersal is often the suggested mechanism of diversification in the South Pacific, specifically among remote island chains. Here, we provide a phylogeny of several related genera of Coenagrionidae (Odonata: Zygoptera) from the South Pacific, based on five molecular loci, in order to examine patterns of speciation in the region. We used the endemic damselfly genera Nesobasis, Nikoulabasis, and Vanuatubasis found across both Fiji and Vanuatu. Knowledge of the geologic history of the region was used to inform our understanding of the evolution of these genera. Both archipelagos used to be part of the Vitiaz arc which spanned from the Solomon Islands to Tonga and began to break apart 10–12 Ma. Results of our divergence-time estimations and biogeographic reconstructions support that the breakup of this arc acted as a significant vicariance event in the evolution of these taxa. Specifically, it led to the extant generic diversity seen in these damselflies. We find that within the archipelago of Vanuatu, that Espiritu Santo served as an important source for dispersal to other islands with Malekula acting as a stepping stone to Efate.

Analysing Teachers’ Perception of the Try-Understand-Apply-Mastered Discovery Learning Processes in Vanuatu Using the Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach

<p style="text-align:justify">Internal and external assessment instruments, such as the Vanuatu Standard Test of Achievements (VANSTA) and the Pacific Island Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA), reveal that mathematics achievements in the Republic of Vanuatu remain below the minimum standard. This study drew on the constructivist grounded theory approach to explore teachers' perspectives of the learning and teaching processes in mathematics education in the Republic of Vanuatu. Specifically, the focus was on the ‘I do-we do-you do’ approach of teaching, which is common in mathematics education in the country. Teachers' opinions about the current situation of mathematics education and possibilities for improving it were extracted using semi-structured interviews with 22 teachers from two randomly selected urban schools. Based on the constructivist grounded theory analysis, four major interlink themes were found. Overall, the findings show that mathematics achievements in the country can be improved through proven discovery-learning strategies for stimulating students' mathematical thinking in the 21st century, such as the ‘try-understand-apply-mastered’ (TUAM) discovery learning process.</p>

Revision of Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 (Odonata, Coenagrionidae), with description of seven new species.

Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 is an endemic genus of damselfly found on the island archipelago of Vanuatu. Previously only three species were assigned to the genus. Here, all known species of Vanuatubasis are formally described and treated, including the association of females for known species. The following new congeners are also described: V.discontinua sp. nov., V.evelynae sp. nov., V.insularivorum sp. nov., V.kapularum sp. nov., V.nunggoli sp. nov., V.rhomboides sp. nov., and V.xanthochroa sp. nov. from material collected across six different islands. An illustrated key to both males and females of all species within Vanuatubasis is provided as well as distributions for all known species.

Humanitarian aid and local responses: the aftermath of the rebuilding effort on Tongoa island, Vanuatu.

Cyclone Pam swept through the archipelago of Vanuatu on 13-14 March 2015, with wind speeds exceeding those recorded anywhere in the South Pacific since the 1980s. Southern and central parts of the country were particularly affected. Material damage on Tongoa, one of the most afflicted islands, was extensive, but no deaths were reported. During the storm, villagers found shelter in their kitchen, in what is considered locally as a 'lifeboat'. The aftermath was managed and mitigated by international aid organisations. On Tongoa, this included a 'Shelter Cluster' programme, under which villagers were given house rebuilding kits. Elaborating upon extensive ethnographic investigations on site between 2011 and 2018, this paper explores and reveals the ways in which this aid generated confusion among the local population. In a larger context of regular disasters triggered by natural hazards, locals have found endogenous ways of dealing with such extreme climatic events, for the most part without any external assistance.

The genomic landscape of contemporary western Remote Oceanians

The Vanuatu archipelago served as a gateway to Remote Oceania during one of the most extensive human migrations to uninhabited lands ∼3,000 years ago. Ancient DNA studies suggest an initial settlement by East Asian-related peoples that was quickly followed by the arrival of Papuan-related populations, leading to a major population turnover. Yet there is uncertainty over the population processes and the sociocultural factors that have shaped the genomic diversity of ni-Vanuatu, who present nowadays among the world's highest linguistic and cultural diversity. Here, we report new genome-wide data for 1,433 contemporary ni-Vanuatu from 29 different islands, including 287 couples. We find that ni-Vanuatu derive their East Asian- and Papuan-related ancestry from the same source populations and descend from relatively synchronous, sex-biased admixture events that occurred ∼1,700-2,300 years ago, indicating a peopling history common to the whole archipelago. However, East Asian-related ancestry proportions differ markedly across islands, suggesting that the Papuan-related population turnover was geographically uneven. Furthermore, we detect Polynesian ancestry arriving ∼600-1,000 years ago to Central and South Vanuatu in both Polynesian-speaking and non-Polynesian-speaking populations. Last, we provide evidence for a tendency of spouses to carry similar genetic ancestry, when accounting for relatedness avoidance. The signal is not driven by strong genetic effects of specific loci or trait-associated variants, suggesting that it results instead from social assortative mating. Altogether, our findings provide an insight into both the genetic history of ni-Vanuatu populations and how sociocultural processes have shaped the diversity of their genomes.

Vanuatu's Typical Approach of Mathematics vs the TUAM Approach of Mathematics

There are multiple factors contributing to the low level of mathematics in basic education in the Republic of Vanuatu. Results through the Vanuatu Standard Test of Achievement (VANSTA) in 2017 and 2019 unveiled that there were gaps in the performance of mathematics which cause the overall achievement to stagnant which were below the expected minimum standard (Curriculum Development Unit, 2020). This study investigated the current situation of the teaching mathematics approach in the country recognised as the ‘I Do-We Do-You Do’ teaching model. In comparison, the study also examined the influence of the ‘Try-Understand-Apply-Master’ (TUAM) discovery learning process on students in Vanuatu. The study compared these two teaching approaches through pre and post-test interventions among the control and experimental group of two grade five classes. The findings of the study discovered a possibility that the TUAM discovery learning process could be effective in improving the mathematics level in the basic education in the Republic of Vanuatu.

Investigating Phases of Thermal Unrest at Ambrym (Vanuatu) Volcano through the Normalized Hot Spot Indices Tool and the Integration with the MIROVA System

Ambrym is an active volcanic island, located in the Vanuatu archipelago, consisting of a 12 km-wide summit caldera. This open vent volcano is characterized by an almost persistent degassing activity which occurs in the Benbow and Marum craters, which were also the site of recent lava lakes. On 15 December 2018, about three years after an intense lava effusion, the first recorded since 1989, a small-scale intra-caldera fissure eruption occurred. On 16 December, the eruption stopped, and the lava lakes at the Benbow and Marum craters were drained. In this work, we investigated the thermal activity of the Ambrym volcano, before, during, and after the 15 December 2018 eruption, using daytime Sentinel-2 (S2) Multispectral Instruments (MSI) and Landsat-8 (L8) Operational Land Imager (OLI) data, at a mid-high spatial resolution. The results were integrated with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations. Outputs of the Normalized Hotspot Indices (NHI) tool, retrieved from S2-MSI and L8-OLI data, show that the thermal activity at the Ambrym craters increased about three weeks before the 15 December 2018 lava effusion. This information is consistent with the estimates of volcanic radiative power (VRP), which were performed by the Middle Infrared Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) system, by analyzing the nighttime MODIS data. The latter revealed a significant increase of VRP, with values above 700 MW at the end of the October–November 2018 period. Moreover, the drastic reduction of thermal emissions at the craters, marked by the NHI tool since the day of the fissure eruption, is consistent with the drop in the lava lake level that was independently suggested in a previous study. These results demonstrate that the S2-MSI and L8-OLI time series, combined with infrared MODIS observations, may contribute to detecting increasing trends in lava lake activity, which may precede effusive eruptions at the open vent volcanoes. This study addresses some challenging scenarios regarding the definition of possible threshold levels (e.g., in terms of VRP and total Short Wave Infrared radiance) from the NHI and MIROVA datasets, which could require special attention from local authorities in terms of the occurrence of possible future eruptions.

Ensemble-Based Forecast of Volcanic Clouds Using FALL3D-8.1

Operational forecasting of volcanic ash and SO2 clouds is challenging due to the large uncertainties that typically exist on the eruption source term and the mass removal mechanisms occurring downwind. Current operational forecast systems build on single-run deterministic scenarios that do not account for model input uncertainties and their propagation in time during transport. An ensemble-based forecast strategy has been implemented in the FALL3D-8.1 atmospheric dispersal model to configure, execute, and post-process an arbitrary number of ensemble members in a parallel workflow. In addition to intra-member model domain decomposition, a set of inter-member communicators defines a higher level of code parallelism to enable future incorporation of model data assimilation cycles. Two types of standard products are automatically generated by the ensemble post-process task. On one hand, deterministic forecast products result from some combination of the ensemble members (e.g., ensemble mean, ensemble median, etc.) with an associated quantification of forecast uncertainty given by the ensemble spread. On the other hand, probabilistic products can also be built based on the percentage of members that verify a certain threshold condition. The novel aspect of FALL3D-8.1 is the automatisation of the ensemble-based workflow, including an eventual model validation. To this purpose, novel categorical forecast diagnostic metrics, originally defined in deterministic forecast contexts, are generalised here to probabilistic forecasts in order to have a unique set of skill scores valid to both deterministic and probabilistic forecast contexts. Ensemble-based deterministic and probabilistic approaches are compared using different types of observation datasets (satellite cloud detection and retrieval and deposit thickness observations) for the July 2018 Ambae eruption in the Vanuatu archipelago and the April 2015 Calbuco eruption in Chile. Both ensemble-based approaches outperform single-run simulations in all categorical metrics but no clear conclusion can be extracted on which is the best option between these two.

Timings of Permanent Tooth Emergence in Children of Rural Vanuatu, Melanesia

Introduction
 Global patterning and timing of permanent tooth emergence is influenced by ethnicity, with no known timings reported for ethnic Melanesian children living in the tropical archipelago of Vanuatu.
 Aim
 To determine timings of permanent tooth emergence and sequencing for children who reside in rural Vanuatu.
 Methods
 Children aged 4-17 years (n=1026), part of a larger oral health cross-sectional study, were examined recording all permanent teeth present, across four spatially separated islands. Binary logistic modelling established children’s median age of emergence of each permanent tooth for each study area.
 Results
 The median emergence of first permanent molars for girls is 4.9-years and 5.3 -years for boys. In all locations, children had all permanent teeth emerge by age 11 years (excluding 3rd molars). Clinically important differences exist for permanent tooth emergence by study area.
 Discussion
 Permanent teeth emerge earlier for Ni-Vanuatu children compared to both Melanesian children of Papua New Guinea as well as other ethnicities across Oceanic countries. These results can be used as a set standard for Vanuatu. Early tooth emergence suggests oral health education programmes should target pregnant women with clinical preventive strategies commencing for their children before 5-years of age.

The <i>M</i><sub>w</sub> 7.5 Tadine (Maré, Loyalty Islands) earthquake and related tsunami of 5 December 2018: seismotectonic context and numerical modeling

Abstract. On 5 December 2018, a magnitude Mw 7.5 earthquake occurred southeast of Maré, an island of the Loyalty Islands archipelago, New Caledonia. This earthquake is located at the junction between the plunging Loyalty Ridge and the southern part of the Vanuatu Arc, in a tectonically complex and very active area regularly subjected to strong seismic crises and earthquakes higher than magnitude 7 and up to 8. Widely felt in New Caledonia, it was immediately followed by a tsunami warning, confirmed shortly after by a first wave arrival at the Loyalty Islands tide gauges (Maré and Lifou), and then along the east coast of Grande Terre of New Caledonia and in several islands of the Vanuatu Archipelago. Two solutions of the seafloor initial deformation are considered for tsunami generation modeling, one using a non-uniform finite-source model from USGS and the other being a uniform slip model built from the Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) solution, with the geological knowledge of the region and empirical laws establishing relationships between the moment magnitude and the fault plane geometry. Both tsunami generation and propagation are simulated using the Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model (SCHISM), an open-source modeling code solving the shallow-water equations on an unstructured grid allowing refinement in many critical areas. The results of numerical simulations are compared to tide gauge records, field observations and testimonials from 2018. Careful inspection of wave amplitude and wave energy maps for the two simulated scenarios shows clearly that the heterogeneous deformation model is inappropriate, while it raises the importance of the fault plane geometry and azimuth for tsunami amplitude and directivity. The arrival times, wave amplitude and polarities obtained with the uniform slip model are globally coherent, especially in far-field locations (Hienghène, Poindimié and Port Vila). Due to interactions between the tsunami waves and the numerous bathymetric structures like the Loyalty and Norfolk ridges in the neighborhood of the source, the tsunami propagating toward the south of Grande Terre and the Isle of Pines is captured by these structures acting like waveguides, allowing it to propagate to the north-northwest, especially in the Loyalty Islands and along the east coast of Grande Terre. A similar observation results from the propagation in the Vanuatu islands, from Aneityum to Efate.

Twenty years of evolution and diversification of digitaria streak virus in Digitaria setigera.

Within the family Geminiviridae, the emergence of new species results from their high mutation and recombination rates. In this study, we report the variability and evolution of digitaria streak virus (DSV), a mastrevirus isolated in 1986 from the grass Digitaria setigera in an island of the Vanuatu archipelago. Viral DNA of DSV samples was amplified from D. setigera specimens, derived from the naturally infected original plant, which were propagated in different laboratories in France and Italy for more than 20 years. From the consensus sequences, the nucleotide substitution rate was estimated for the period between a sample and the original sequence published in 1987, as well as for the period between samples. In addition, the intra-host genetic complexity and diversity of 8 DSV populations with a total of 165 sequenced haplotypes was characterized. The evolutionary rate of DSV was estimated to be between 1.13 × 10−4 and 9.87 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year, within the ranges observed in other single-stranded DNA viruses and RNA viruses. Bioinformatic analyses revealed high variability and heterogeneity in DSV populations, which confirmed that mutant spectra are continuously generated and are organized as quasispecies. The analysis of polymorphisms revealed nucleotide substitution biases in viral genomes towards deamination and oxidation of single-stranded DNA. The differences in variability in each of the genomic regions reflected a dynamic and modular evolution in the mutant spectra that was not reflected in the consensus sequences. Strikingly, the most variable region of the DSV genome, encoding the movement protein, showed rapid fixation of the mutations in the consensus sequence and a concomitant dN/dS ratio of 6.130, which suggests strong positive selection in this region. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a possible divergence in three genetic lineages from the original Vanuatu DSV isolate.

‘Awakening the Stones’: The Nieri Performance, Gardens and Regeneration in Tanna, Vanuatu

ABSTRACT In 2017, islanders from six villages on the southern island of Tanna, in the archipelago of Vanuatu, sculpted more than 50,000 taro into a large ship for the nieri, the premier Tannese exchange based on mythic injunctions to feed allies and protect land. Ships, canoes and stones are generative forms in Tanna and are woven into the interstices of daily life, gardens and ritual. This ritual, planned after the category 5 2015 Cyclone Pam destroyed gardens in Tanna, was also designed to ‘awaken the stones’ which ensure the fertility of gardens. The nieri reasserts the material and spiritual primacy of gardens through the exchange of food that engenders a particular kind of sociality and person in Tanna. During the performance, taro were swapped for yam from six coastal villages. Closely allied, taro and yam are gendered beings whose lives are entangled in the relational worlds of humans and other non-human beings. The fluid and ephemeral art forms that characterise Tannese ceremonial life are dependent upon and attuned to the cycle of the yam and taro garden. I explore how the ‘taro ship’ gathers the multiple relations and diversities that emanate from gardens. The nieri and the spectacle of taro ‘becoming’ ship, makes visible social, cosmological and ecological relations through the aesthetic forms that connect the everyday and myth.

Modelling prehistoric social interaction in the south-western Pacific: a view from the obsidian sources in northern Vanuatu. In From Field to Museum—Studies from Melanesia in Honour of Robin Torrence, ed. Jim Specht, Val Attenbrow, and Jim Allen

This paper investigates the history of social interaction within communities in the Vanuatu Archipelago and between Vanuatu and other regions in the Western Pacific as reflected by variations in lithic raw material sources and technology of stone artefacts. Past research determined an apparent contradiction between long-distance transportation of obsidian, indicating high value, and the under-utilisation of the raw material at the place of discard, indicating low value. The paper concludes that because previous hypotheses depend too much on the notion of the scarcity of resources in their evaluation of the concept of value, they are insufficient to explain the pattern of spatial and temporal distribution of lithic artefacts. Rather than focusing on the intrinsic value of obsidian raw material for individuals or communities, it is more useful to view it as a marker of group identity in a complex system connecting discrete populations in mitigating risk in unpredictable new environments. These new environments included pre-established populations, which might be hostile to new arrivals. The necessity for this complex system quickly disappeared once the colonisers arrived in regions uninhabited by prior populations.

<i>Tabu</i>, MPA and community: nomenclature and the political ecology of marine conservation in Vanuatu

This article examines two marine conservation projects from the Republic of Vanuatu, and seeks to contribute to the regional political ecology literature. I question whether Marine Protected Areas (MPA) or tabu eria [lit. taboo area] are the most effective tool for regulating inshore fisheries in the Pacific Islands. Tabu eria – customary/neo-traditional spatial-temporal marine closures – are regularly presented as socio-historically embedded practices that are more likely to succeed as a resource management tool than MPAs, which are often deemed to be an outside intervention promoted by western conservationists. The case studies demonstrate that the adoption of MPA rather than tabu does not always question the moral competence of local forms of knowing and doing. On the contrary, the local adoption of an MPA can be a strategic, local appropriation, e.g. to justify territorial claims, resource capture, and/or enhance regulatory sanctions. Examples foreground the analytical limits of 'local' and 'foreign', or a failure to properly address (and locate) human agency. The uncritical valorization of tabu eria as local and authentic shows the same prejudice that its advocates purport to critique. An MPA and tabu equally prioritize and naturalize the essentialist idea of 'the village-as-community’, (re)presenting 'the village' as homogenous and undifferentiated. In short, the reality on-the-ground reiterates that socio-historical specifics matter, and human agency can be difficult to identify. Categories such as MPA, tabu and 'community' obscure more than they reveal and can unintentionally erode, rather than enhance, marine conservation objectives.

Timings of Permanent Tooth Emergence in Children of Rural Vanuatu, Melanesia

Global patterning and timing of permanent tooth emergence is influenced by ethnicity, with no known timings reported for ethnic Melanesian children living in the tropical archipelago of Vanuatu. To determine timings of permanent tooth emergence and sequencing for children who reside in rural Vanuatu. Children aged 4-17 years (n=1026), part of a larger oral health cross-sectional study, were examined recording all permanent teeth present, across four spatially separated islands. Binary logistic modelling established children’s median age of emergence of each permanent tooth for each study area. The median emergence of first permanent molars for girls is 4.9-years and 5.3 -years for boys. In all locations, children had all permanent teeth emerge by age 11 years (excluding 3rd molars). Clinically important differences exist for permanent tooth emergence by study area. Permanent teeth emerge earlier for Ni-Vanuatu children compared to both Melanesian children of Papua New Guinea as well as other ethnicities across Oceanic countries. Early tooth emergence suggests oral health education programmes should target pregnant women with clinical preventive strategies commencing for their children before 5-years of age. These results can be used as a set standard for Vanuatu. Funding Statement: The primary author of this study received funding from New Zealand Aid/Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to travel to study areas. Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval for this study was granted by Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (approval HEC#19916). Additionally, consent was granted, at each site by local health staff, village chiefs, parents and school staff for clinical examinations (to be performed on children by a New Zealand oral health professional), with all children assenting to participate.

Factors Associated with Smoking and Drinking among Early Adolescents in Vanuatu: A Cross-Sectional Study of Adolescents and Their Parents.

This cross-sectional study determined whether various factors, such as parental behavior, attitude, and knowledge and sibling and peer behaviors, were associated with smoking and drinking among early adolescents in the Republic of Vanuatu. For this purpose, logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relative importance of the factors as well as the influences of the parents/guardians, siblings, and peers. The participants consisted of 157 seventh- and eighth-grade adolescents (mean age = 13.3 years; 52.2% girls), including their parents/guardians, from three public schools in Vanuatu. According to the results, the proportions of smokers and drinkers among the adolescents were 12.7% each, while the majority of the parents/guardians disapproved of underage smoking and drinking. In addition, peer influences (i.e., regularly smoking and/or drinking and offering tobacco and/or alcohol) was significantly associated with ever smoking and drinking, whereas parental and sibling influences did not have a significant impact on ever smoking and drinking. In sum, being given tobacco or alcohol from peers had the strongest association with ever smoking and drinking among the adolescents in this study. Thus, future school-based intervention programs should focus on enhancing early adolescents’ life skills, including the ability to resist offers of tobacco and/or alcohol from their peers.

Female sex worker : circulation et impact d’une catégorie de santé publique au Vanuatu

La catégorie de santé publique female sex worker (ou « travailleuse du sexe » en français) bénéficie aujourd’hui d’un essor transnational. Cet article montre non seulement les manières dont l’expression female sex worker est utilisée dans l’archipel mélanésien du Vanuatu, mais révèle également les conséquences socio-culturelles possibles de son usage pour les personnes concernées.

Three Phases of Ancient Migration Shaped the Ancestry of Human Populations in Vanuatu

The archipelago of Vanuatu has been at the crossroads of human population movements in the Pacific for the past three millennia. To help address several open questions regarding the history of these movements, we generated genome-wide data for 11 ancient individuals from the island of Efate dating from its earliest settlement to the recent past, including five associated with the Chief Roi Mata's Domain World Heritage Area, and analyzed them in conjunction with 34 published ancient individuals from Vanuatu and elsewhere in Oceania, as well as present-day populations. Our results outline three distinct periods of population transformations. First, the four earliest individuals, from the Lapita-period site of Teouma, are concordant with eight previously described Lapita-associated individuals from Vanuatu and Tonga in having almost all of their ancestry from a "First Remote Oceanian" source related to East and Southeast Asians. Second, both the Papuan ancestry predominating in Vanuatu for the past 2,500 years and the smaller component of Papuan ancestry found in Polynesians can be modeled as deriving from a single source most likely originating in New Britain, suggesting that the movement of people carrying this ancestry to Remote Oceania closely followed that of the First Remote Oceanians in time and space. Third, the Chief Roi Mata's Domain individuals descend from a mixture of Vanuatu- and Polynesian-derived ancestry and are related to Polynesian-influenced communities today in central, but not southern, Vanuatu, demonstrating Polynesian genetic input in multiple groups with independent histories.