Genetic evidence and historical theories of the Asian and African origins of the present Malagasy population.

The origin of the Malagasy population has been a subject of speculation since the 16th century. Contributions of African, Asian, Indian, Melanesian, Arabic and Persian populations have been suggested based on physical and cultural anthropology, oral tradition, linguistics and later also by archaeology. In the mid-20th century, increased knowledge of heredity rules and technical progress enabled the identification of African and Asian populations as main contributors.