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Review of the currently accepted demographic model of the Japanese population on the continent. (University of Tokyo )

The current thinking about the origin of the Japanese population maintains that the original residents, Jomon’s people, were met about 2,500 years ago by a separate group mainly from the Korean Peninsula, the Yayoi people. However, archaeological evidence used to achieve this conclusion is insufficient to tell the final story. Now DNA evidence from Y chromosomes provided the necessary data.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo conducted a census of the Japanese population some 2,500 years ago using Y chromosomes living on the main islands of modern Japan. For the first time, the analysis of modern genomes estimated the size of the ancient human population before they were met by a separate ancient population.

“The evidence in the archaeological excavations was used to estimate the size of ancient human populations, but the difficulty and unpredictability of finding these places is a great limitation. Now we have a method that uses a large amount of modern data, “said associate professor Jun Ohashi, an expert in the field of human evolution genetics and the leader of the research team who carried out the analysis.

Archaeological mystery

The current theory regarding the migration of people to Japan is that the original residents, Jomon’s people, were met about 2,500 years ago by a separate group mainly from the Korean Peninsula, the Yayoi people.

Archaeologists have identified fewer Jomon sites from the late Jomon period, the era immediately before the arrival of Yayoi. During this period, global temperatures and sea levels have dropped, which could have made life difficult for Jomon hunters-gatherers.

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