New Guinea Peoples: Melanesian, Not African

The indigenous peoples of New Guinea are Melanesian, not of African descent. Melanesians are native to the islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia) and have a distinct genetic and cultural heritage separate from African populations.

While both groups share dark skin and curly hair due to convergent evolution in tropical environments, their lineages diverged tens of thousands of years ago.