Osteological and genetic analysis of Jamainu specimens from the point of view of the crossbreed events between Japanese wolves and domestic dogs

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01193
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural assets study and museology
• Research Institution: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
• Principal Investigator: Ishiguro Naotaka 総合研究大学院大学, 先導科学研究科, 客員研究員 (00109521)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 本郷 一美 総合研究大学院大学, 先導科学研究科, 准教授 (20303919) ; 寺井 洋平 総合研究大学院大学, 先導科学研究科, 助教 (30432016)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ニホンオオカミ / イヌ / ミトコンドリア / DNA / 系統解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Japanese wolves (Canis lupus hodophilax, Temminck, 1839) has been called as Ookami or Jamainu. We examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from five Japanese wolf specimens found in Japan, three specimens from Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin and three specimens (Jentink a, Jentink b and Jentink c) in Siebold collection of Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden. The mitochondrial genome of the type specimen of hodophilax (Jentink c) called as Jamainu in the Siebold collection was included in the cluster of Japanese wolves. Although mitochondrial lineage of Jentink c is Japanese wolf, the morphological features and the size of Jentink c specimen are different from those of other Japanese wolves indicates that the crossbreed events between Japanese wolves and domestic dogs might be occurred in the past.

Free Research Field

動物考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

シーボルトが蒐集した標本を含めて海外の博物館に保管されているニホンオオカミの標本のmtDNA解析は、本研究が初めてである。これまでシーボルトコレクションのヤマイヌの正体は不明であったが、本研究によりヤマイヌはニホンオオカミ型のmtDNAを有することが明らかとなった。これにより、当時ヤマイヌと呼ばれていた動物は、ニホンオオカミかあるいはイヌとの交雑種であることが示された。