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