Repository logo
 

Ancient Jomon genome sequence analysis sheds light on migration patterns of early East Asian populations.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Rasmussen, Simon 
Allentoft, Morten E 

Abstract

Anatomically modern humans reached East Asia more than 40,000 years ago. However, key questions still remain unanswered with regard to the route(s) and the number of wave(s) in the dispersal into East Eurasia. Ancient genomes at the edge of the region may elucidate a more detailed picture of the peopling of East Eurasia. Here, we analyze the whole-genome sequence of a 2,500-year-old individual (IK002) from the main-island of Japan that is  characterized with a typical Jomon culture. The phylogenetic analyses support multiple waves of migration, with IK002 forming a basal lineage to the East and Northeast Asian genomes examined, likely representing some of the earliest-wave migrants who went north from Southeast Asia to East Asia. Furthermore, IK002 shows strong genetic affinity with the indigenous Taiwan aborigines, which may support a coastal route of the Jomon-ancestry migration. This study highlights the power of ancient genomics to provide new insights into the complex history of human migration into East Eurasia.

Description

Keywords

Asian People, Base Sequence, DNA, Ancient, Asia, Eastern, Genome, Human, Human Migration, Humans, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Statistics as Topic

Journal Title

Commun Biol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2399-3642
2399-3642

Volume Title

3

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC