1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Morphological and genetic studies on human skeletal remains of the Nansei islands
| Project/Area Number |
07304058
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 総合 |
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| Research Field |
人類学(含生理人類学)
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| Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
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Principal Investigator |
DOI Naomi Univ. Ryukyus Sch. Med. Associate Prof., 医学部, 助教授 (30128053)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MINE Kazuharu Kagoshima Univ. Sch. Dent. Assistant, 歯学部, 助手 (50209839)
TAKAMIYA Hiroto Sapporo Univ. Woman's Junior college Lecturer, 女子短期大学部, 講師 (40258752)
HORAI Satosi Nat. Inst. Genetics Dep. Hum. Genet. Associate Prof., 総合遺伝研究系, 助教授 (40126157)
DODO Yukio Tohoku Univ. Sch. Med. Professor, 医学部, 教授 (50000146)
HIRATA Yukio Univ. Ryukyus Sch. Med. Professor, 医学部, 教授 (70073070)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1995 – 1996
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| Keywords | skeletal morphology / mtDNA / adaptation / origin of the Japanese / the Nansei islands |
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| Research Abstract |
We could integrate our findings obtained from morphological, genetic and ecological studies about the Nansei islanders twice (1st at Chiba and 2nd at Okinawa). In addition, Doi and Mine collected skeletal samples from the Amami and Okinawa islands for mtDNA analysis. mtDNA analyzes of these skeletal samples are proceeding at National Institute of Genetics.
The results obtained up to the present were summarized as follows :
<Skeletal morphology>
1) The ancient Okinawans were revealed to share some skeletal features with the Tanegashima and Amami Yayoi peoples. They were characterized by small cranial size, hyperbrachycrany and shorter face.
2) Significant secular changes in skeletal morphology were found both in the Okinawa and Amami islands.
3) The modern Nansei islanders, generally considered to have close affinity to the Ainu, were revealed to have unique morphological characteristics. They were clearly discriminated from the Ainu by flat face.
<mtDNA>
The analyzes of mtDNA from five East Asian populations (mainland Japanese, Ainu, Okinawans, Koreans, and Chinese) lend support to the hybridization theory on the origin of modern Japanese. Furthermore, the Ainu and Okinawans, though they shared some genetic affinity with each other, were thought to have existed as different populations when the Yayoi migration began to take place.
<Prehistory>
The number of habitation sites in the Okinawa islands indicated that successful colonization of the island took place only during the later part of the Middle Jomon or the earlier part of the Late Jomon, but not prior to this time.
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