Zooarchaeological analysis of Japanese wolves to examine the origin and distribution of their populations

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K01104
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03060:Cultural assets study-related
• Research Institution: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
• Principal Investigator: Ishiguro Naotaka 総合研究大学院大学, 統合進化科学研究センター, 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): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• 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

The extinct Japanese wolves (Canis lupus hodophilax, Temminck, 1839) have many mysterious stories. The Japanese wolves have been understood as a distinct wolf species in Japan, since Temminck first described. The Japanese wolves were characterized by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis recently and recognized an extinct subspecies of gray wolf. Based on the mtDNA sequences analyzed, the Japanese wolf populations could be classified into two groups group A and group B, which contain or lack an 8-bp insertion/deletion, respectively. To determine the origin and distribution of the Japanese wolves, mtDNA genome of archaeological specimens in the Jomon period are examined; all 4 specimens were classified into the group A. The phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA genomes of the Japanese wolves (groups A and B) with several grey wolves reveled that the group B lineage might to be divided from a part of group A lineage wolves.

Free Research Field

動物考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

絶滅したニホンオオカミは謎の多い動物である。mtDNAの遺伝的解析からニホンオオカミはタイリクオオカミの一亜種であり、遺伝的に大きく２群（グループAとグループB）に分かれた。縄文時代の古い骨資料の解析からグループBはグループAの一部の集団から派生したことが本研究で明らかとなった。さらに古い骨資料を解析することにより、ニホンオオカミの起源や変遷が明らかになることが示唆された。