Papuan (Highlands) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Papua New Guinea · Oceania
The highlands of New Guinea were one of the few places in the world where farming was invented independently: at Kuk Swamp, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, people were cultivating plants at least 7,000 years ago. New Guinea was settled at least 50,000 years ago, and Papua New Guinea alone has more than 800 languages. This page uses the Highlands average, which plays a special role: it is the reference population for the Papuan and Near Oceanian component of our global model, so its 100.0% score is true by construction and says nothing about its history. Other populations are measured against it: the Ni-Vanuatu average, for example, is 65.6% Papuan-related. The closest modern averages are other highland samples, from Koinambe and Highland A, then the Korowai and Kosipe; outside New Guinea, the nearest is the Baining of New Britain at 0.1548, and the Australian Aboriginal average is at 0.216, a sign of very long separation.
- Reference population for the Papuan and Near Oceanian component of our global model (100.0% by construction)
- Closest modern population in our data: Papuan (Koinambe), distance 0.0118
- Closest modern population outside New Guinea: Baining, distance 0.1548
Where does Papuan (Highlands) DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Papuan (Highlands) individuals sampled in Papua New Guinea, listed in the G25 sheet as "Papuan" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Papuan (Highlands) average
Papuan (Highlands) is itself one of the reference populations of this model: the Papuan (Highlands) average is what the model uses for the Papuan and Near Oceanian component, so it comes out as 100.0% Papuan and Near Oceanian by construction. That figure says nothing about how old, how mixed or how uniform Papuan (Highlands) ancestry is; it only shows where the model's yardstick for this part of the world comes from.
The informative part of this page is the comparison below: which modern populations and which ancient genomes sit closest to the Papuan (Highlands) average.
Closest modern populations to Papuan (Highlands)
Genetically, the Papuan (Highlands) average sits nearest to Papuan (Koinambe) at 0.012, Papuan (Highland A) at 0.013 and Korowai at 0.026. On our scale, a distance of 0.012 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Korowai (0.026), Kosipe (0.026) and Baining (0.155). By the tenth closest (Alor) the distance grows to 0.351, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papuan (Koinambe) | 0.0118 | Very close |
| 2 | Papuan (Highland A) | 0.0126 | Very close |
| 3 | Korowai | 0.0258 | Close |
| 4 | Kosipe | 0.0262 | Close |
| 5 | Baining | 0.1548 | Distant |
| 6 | Australian Aboriginal | 0.2160 | Distant |
| 7 | Ni-Vanuatu | 0.2505 | Distant |
| 8 | Nasoi | 0.2761 | Distant |
| 9 | Nasioi (Bougainville) | 0.2768 | Distant |
| 10 | Alor | 0.3510 | Distant |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Papuan (Highlands)
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Papuan (Highlands) average is Vanuatu 2300BP (c. 350 BC), at 0.129, followed by Vanuatu 1300BP and Vanuatu 1450CE. Even the best ancient match is distant, so the modern population is better described as a blend of several ancestral sources than as the continuation of one. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanuatu 2300BP | c. 350 BC | 0.1293 |
| 2 | Vanuatu 1300BP | c. 650 AD | 0.1620 |
| 3 | Vanuatu 1450CE | c. 1450 AD | 0.1779 |
| 4 | Papua New Guinea Eriama Precolonial | Pre-colonial | 0.2038 |
| 5 | Australia Cairns 420BP | c. 1550 AD | 0.2078 |
| 6 | Australia Queensland 50BP (Ngajanji) | 0.2109 | |
| 7 | Vanuatu 1800CE | c. 1800 AD | 0.2111 |
| 8 | Vanuatu 1200BP | c. 750 AD | 0.2162 |
| 9 | Vanuatu 2500BP | c. 550 BC | 0.2163 |
| 10 | AUS Mapoon 112BP | c. 1850 AD | 0.2171 |
Ancient DNA from Papua New Guinea
Our ancient DNA database holds 41 individuals excavated in present-day Papua New Guinea, dated from about 1,650 BC to 1810 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are C1b (12), M1a (2) and O2a (2), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are B4 (16), P1 (2) and Q1 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Papuan (Highlands) population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Papua New Guinea
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 41 from Papua New Guinea.
Compare yourself with Papuan (Highlands)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Papuan (Highlands) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Papuan (Highlands) and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Papuan (Highlands). Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Papuan (Highlands) average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Papuan (Highlands)?
Papuan (Highlands) is itself one of the reference populations of our make-up model: the Papuan (Highlands) average is what the model uses for the Papuan and Near Oceanian component, so its make-up is Papuan and Near Oceanian by construction. The closest modern and ancient populations on this page describe it better than that figure.
Which populations are genetically closest to Papuan (Highlands)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Papuan (Koinambe)), the closest modern populations to the Papuan (Highlands) average are Korowai, Kosipe and Baining. The closest ancient matches are Vanuatu 2300BP, Vanuatu 1300BP and Vanuatu 1450CE.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Papuan (Highlands)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Papuan (Highlands) average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Papuan (Highlands) ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Papuan (Highlands) average closely, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.