Why did the Easter Islanders die off?

This question has been long debated as to whether the islanders were killed off by disease brought by the European travelers or if they over-exhausted their resources through the building of massive stone sculptures and over population. Research suggests that certain areas of the island where abandoned well before the europeans arrived and that other areas were inhabited long after the european contact. The research is suggesting that instead of putting themselves into extinction, the islanders pulled back their production in hopes of saving themselves. More information can be found here.

   Credit: Image courtesy of University of California - Santa Barbara