Ainu and Ryukyuan Cranial Nonmetric Variation: Evidence which Disputes the Ainu-Ryukyu Common Origin Theory.

Abstract

Their trait-frequency patterns were compared with the samples from East/South eastAsia and the world using Smith's Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD) sta tistic,principal coordinate analysis, and neighbor-joining clustering algorithm. The results indicated that the Ryukyuan samples aligned with the East/South eastAsian•gMongoloid•hcluster and are far distant from the Jomon/Ainu cluster. These results do not support the prevailing view which favors a common origin of the Ainu and Ryukyuan peoples. Moreover, evidence based on morphologi caland genetic data supporting the present conclusion, and populational unique nessof the Jomon and Ainu were discussed.

Multivariate comparisons of female cranial series from the Ryukyu Islands and Japan

“…Hanihara, , 1998Mizoguchi, 1986;Brace et al, 1989;Ossenberg, 1992;Yamaguchi, 1992;Ishida, 1996;Matsumura, 2001;Dodo and Kawakubo, 2002). The absence of evidence for a close affinity between any of the Ryukyu Island cranial series and the prehistoric Jomon and modern Ainu cranial series has been supported by other work in physical anthropology (Pietrusewsky, 1996;Doi et al, 1997;Omoto and Saitou, 1997;Dodo et al 1998).…”

Population history of the northern and central Nansei Islands (Ryukyu island arc) based on dental morphological variations: gene flow from North Kyushu to Nansei Islands

“…The period during which the temporal change occurred in Tanegashima was compared to the period when such changes occurred on the central Japanese main island, with the aim to examine the possible causes that underlie the regional differences in the timing of temporal changes. Finally, from the results of this study, as well as by considering some recent osteological evidence (Doi et al, 1997;Doi, 1998Doi, , 2003Doi, , 2004Dodo et al, 1998Dodo et al, , 2000Asato and Doi, 1999;Matsushita, 2001), we examine the characteristics of the prehistoric population of the Nansei Islands, and discuss the validity of the 'Jomonese-Ryukyuan common origin theory' from a prehistoric perspective.…”

“…(Suda, 1950;Terakado Y., 1976;Ikeda and Tagaya, 1980), craniometry (Hsü, 1948;Ikeda, 1974;Tagaya and Ikeda, 1976;Pietrusewsky, 1994Pietrusewsky, , 1999Pietrusewsky, , 2004Doi et al, 1997;Doi, 1998Doi, , 2003Doi, , 2004Asato and Doi, 1999), cranial nonmetric traits (Mouri, 1986;Dodo, 1992;Dodo et al, 1998Dodo et al, , 2000, mitochondrial DNA (Horai et al, 1996), and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene (Hatta et al, 1999;Tokunaga, 2003). Some arguments against the theory have been highlighted, particularly in the recent studies by Dodo (1992), Doi et al (1997), Doi (1998Doi ( , 2003Doi ( , 2004, Dodo et al (1998Dodo et al ( , 2000, and Asato and Doi (1999). From the viewpoint of dental morphology, Manabe et al (1999a) performed a study using dental plaster casts of modern, young, living Okinawa main islanders; their study suggested that this population was much more similar to the migrant Yayoi and modern Japanese main island populations than to the Jomonese and Hokkaido Ainu populations.…”

“…Therefore, it is necessary to consider results derived from the living inhabitants, such as those obtained in this study. Moreover, in skeletal morphology, the results of recent studies by Dodo (1992), Doi et al (1997), Doi (1998Doi ( , 2003Doi ( , 2004, Dodo et al (1998Dodo et al ( , 2000, and Asato and Doi (1999), who reexamined skeletal remains from the Nansei Islands, should be taken into account. These studies that are based on sufficient material do not support the AinuRyukyuan common origin theory in the modern period.…”

“…Ever since a physical similari-ty between the Ryukyuan and Ainu populations was indicated by von Baelz in 1911, many anthropological studies using various methods have been conducted on Nansei islanders. The methods used in these studies comprised somatological measurements and observations (Newman and Eng, 1947;Suda, 1950;Ikeda and Tagaya, 1980), osteological measurements and nonmetric traits (Hsü, 1948;Ikeda, 1974;Kouhara, 1976;Tagaya and Ikeda, 1976;Yamaguchi, 1982Yamaguchi, , 1992Mouri, 1986;Dodo, 1992;Pietrusewsky, 1994Pietrusewsky, , 1999Pietrusewsky, , 2004Doi et al, 1997;Dodo et al, 1998Dodo et al, , 2000Doi, 1998Doi, , 2003Doi, , 2004Asato and Doi, 1999;Matsushita, 2001;Nakahashi, 2003), dental measurements and nonmetric traits (Yamada et al, 1970;Hanihara K. et al, 1974;Hanihara K., 1976;Tsuru, 1978;Matayoshi, 1982;Turner, 1987;Hanihara T., 1989Hanihara T., , 1991Hanihara T., , 1992bMatsumura, 1995;Manabe et al, 1999aManabe et al, , b, 2001Manabe et al, , 2003aHiga et al, 2003;Haneji et al, 2007), and genetics (e.g. Omoto et al, 1976;Omoto, 1978…”