隈・西小田弥生遺跡出土人骨のDNA分析 Ancient DNA Analysis of Skeletal Samples Recovered from the Kuma-Nishioda Yayoi Site

Recovery of ancient DNA has become an increasingly important tool in elucidating the origins of ancient populations and their relationships. To assess the genetic affinities of the immigrated Yayoi population, 47 skeletal samples belonging to this group were analyzed by PCR using ancient DNA. The hypervariable segment I (HVSI) portion of the control region in 35 of these individuals was sequenced and the mtDNA haplogroups were determined. The frequency data for haplogroups were used to test the migration hypothesis, which are supported by morphological data. The results suggest that the Yayoi people had migrated to the Japanese archipelago and admixed with the previously inhabiting Jomon people. The frequency distributions of haplogroups in the Jomon and immigrated Yayoi populations differed significantly, suggesting that there exists a genetic discontinuity between these two populations, which supports the hypothesis. However, the frequencies of mtDNA haplotypes in the Yayoi population could be biased by the small sample size, and the true frequencies are likely to be different when more individuals are typed. Further genetic studies are needed to confirm our results.