A study into tooth wear in a group of wild Japanese macaques has significant implications for the study of human evolution, a University of Otago study has shown. Macroscopic ridges on the outer surface of upper central macaque incisors [Credit: Ian Towle wt al., 2022] Lead author Dr Ian Towle and Dr Carolina Loch, of…
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In a recent study published in the Researchers from the University of Tsukuba find that genetic diversity of the relic maple species, Acer miyabei, is shaped by mountainous terrain [Credit: University of Tsukuba] Acer miyabei is found mainly in river floodplains, from lowland to mountainous areas. The species was once abundant but is now only…
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Postholes and other archaeological remains that are believed to be from a dwelling for the empress at the Japanese imperial family’s official residence have been found in the ancient capital of Kyoto. Postholes and stone arrangements that served as ditches, which are believed to be remains of the Tokaden pavilion of the ancient Heian-kyo residence of…
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The origin and early dispersal of Transeurasian languages, including, among others, Japanese, Korean, Tungusic, Mongolic and Turkic, is among the most disputed issues of Asian prehistory. Although many of the commonalities between these languages are due to borrowing, recent studies have shown a reliable core of evidence supporting the classification of Transeurasian as a genealogical…
A widely accepted theory of Native American origins coming from Japan has been attacked in a new scientific study, which shows that the genetics and skeletal biology “simply does not match-up”. The findings, published today in the peer-reviewed journal Jomon teeth vs Native American teeth [Credit: G. Richard Scott, University of Nevada Reno] Based on…
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Ancient DNA extracted from human bones has rewritten early Japanese history by underlining that modern day populations in Japan have a tripartite genetic origin—a finding that refines previously accepted views of a dual genomic ancestry. Kamikuroiwa rock shelter: this site is located in Kumakogen, Kamiukena District, Ehime Prefecture of Shikoku, where the oldest Jomon individual…
The human capacity for warfare and whether it is an inescapable part of human nature is a hot button issue at the heart of various disciplines like anthropology, archaeology, philosophy, and so on. Researchers have posited a range of ideas about why humans engage in war, and the running list of various triggers for inter-group…
Read More “Population pressure and prehistoric violence in the Yayoi period of Japan” »
Illustrations depicting the dinosaur era — whether in books or movies — are often accompanied by lush greenery. And during the Cretaceous period, the trees commonly dominating a wide range of Earth’s terrestrial environments were conifers — similar to the pines, spruces cypresses and cedars that populate the earth today. These conifers played a key…
The development of agriculture was a landmark feat for modern humans. It marked the beginning of a sedentary lifestyle and development of “civilizations.” However, the environmental factors that drove this revolutionary change in how humans lived have been debated until now. The calm lake has an abiotic and undisturbed lake bottom that favored the accumulation…
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Modern Japanese appear to be genetically descended from the Palaeolithic Minatogawa people, according to DNA analysis of human remains in Okinawa Prefecture dating from 20,000 years ago. Artist’s rendition of what a Minatogawa man looked like [Credit: Teruya Yamamoto/National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo] According to current mainstream theory, Japanese have mixed origins in…
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