2300-year-old skeleton helps solve mystery of earliest Japanese people
By Ryan General
DNA sequencing of a 2,300-year-old Yayoi skeleton from the Doigahama archaeological site in Yamaguchi Prefecture reveals that modern Japan’s genome began with Korean peninsula migration. Published in the Journal of Human Genetics, the University of Tokyo study confirms that immigrants from the Korean Peninsula interbred with the indigenous Jomon population during the Yayoi period.
- Challenging recent models: Recent studies have hypothesized that the ancestors of modern Japanese people were not only descendants of Jomon and Yayoi populations but also carried genetic material from a previously unknown Northeast Asian group. The new research challenges this model by demonstrating that the Northeast Asian group had already mixed with the Yayoi population on the Korean Peninsula before migrating to the Japanese archipelago.
- Building on previous findings: Excavations in the 1950s led by researcher Kaneseki Tsuyoshi unearthed approximately 300 Yayoi skeletons, revealing physical distinctions between the Jomon and Yayoi people. This discovery led to the “dual ancestry” hypothesis, which prevailed for decades. Building upon Tsuyoshi’s foundational work, the new study not only clarifies the origins of the Yayoi migrants but also paves the way for further research into the complex genetic history of Japan. The researchers plan to analyze more Yayoi genomes to further unravel how this admixture unfolded and ultimately shaped the genetic makeup of modern-day Japan.
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