Genetic study reveals ancestry of Madagascar people

"Madagascar widely known for its unique plants and animals. Less well known is that native people also populate the island. They are known as Malagasy and are believed to have both African and Asian ancestry. What has not been clear is when people first settled on Madagascar and when the two groups combined. Prior studies involving the Malagasy have sought common or different cultural practices and linguistics—the people on the island share a language family known as Austronesian, which is also spoken by people living on other Pacific islands. In this new effort, the researchers sought more precise information by conducting a genetic study of the people."