Ancient DNA Reveals Jomon People of Japan Lacked Notable Denisovan Ancestry
TOKYO – A new genetic study reveals the Jomon people,prehistoric inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago,possessed surprisingly little DNA from the Denisovans,an extinct group of hominins.The research, published this week, sheds light on the complex population history of East Asia and challenges previous assumptions about Denisovan gene flow.
While modern East Asians carry approximately 0.1% Denisovan DNA - representing between one-sixth to one-eighth of their genetic makeup – the analysis of ancient Jomon genomes showed a stark contrast. Researchers found minimal evidence of Denisovan ancestry in these individuals, raising questions about the routes early modern humans took as they dispersed across Asia. The findings offer crucial insights into the genetic relationships between ancient populations and the broader story of human evolution.
The study focused on analyzing the genomes of Jomon individuals dating back roughly 9,000 years.Researchers noted a later influx of Denisovan DNA into Japan occurred during the Kofun period (A.D. 300 to 710), coinciding with a large-scale migration of East Asians to the islands. This suggests the Denisovan genes present in contemporary Japanese populations were introduced after the Jomon period.
“It may be that some [modern human] groups took different routes during the early dispersals in East Asia,” explained Jiaqi Yang, a doctoral researcher of evolutionary genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the study’s first author. “Or,Denisovans were so sparsely distributed that interactions with them were rare.”
The limited data currently available hinders a definitive explanation. The oldest jomon genome analyzed is 9,000 years old, leaving a 23,000-year gap in the archaeological record. Evidence indicates modern humans inhabited the Japanese archipelago as early as 32,000 years ago, and genetic data from this missing period could prove pivotal in resolving the early population history of the region. The research team hopes future discoveries will fill this gap and provide a more complete understanding of the genetic landscape of prehistoric Japan.
