Evidence of human settlement in Taiwan dates back thirty thousand years, although the first inhabitants of Taiwan may have been genetically distinct from any groups currently on the island.

About four thousand years ago, ancestors of current Taiwanese aborigines settled in Taiwan.

These aborigines are genetically related to Malay and maternally to Polynesians, and linguists classify their languages as Austronesian.

It is thought likely that Polynesian ancestry may be traceable throughout Taiwan.